On the evening of October 18, 2022, in Shreveport, Louisiana, 25-year-old Anthony P. Smith committed a domestic assault against the children's mother and invaded the family's mobile home, abducting 1-year-old Ronnie Marter and his 10-month-old sister Lillian Rose Marter. Smith drove the children to Bill Cockrell Park, where he shot both children before killing himself in a murder-suicide. Lillian was found dead at the scene inside a vehicle at the park at approximately 9 PM, while Ronnie was rushed to Ochsner LSU Health where he died just before midnight. Smith's relationship to the mother and children was never officially clarified. The children's deaths were recorded as the 44th and 45th homicides in Shreveport in 2022.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The People article states that Smith "shot them both before ending his own life." The KSLA article identifies Smith as "the shooter" and the coroner's office released his name. Both children died from gunshot wounds in a firearm incident.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The People article states that Smith "shot them both before ending his own life." The KSLA article also refers to Smith as "the shooter." Both children were shot, constituting inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Both documents explicitly describe this as a murder-suicide. The KSLA article title reads "Man, 2 children die in murder-suicide" and states "officers then discovered the murder-suicide." The People article describes it as "a double murder-suicide" where Smith "shot them both before ending his own life."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
The People article states Smith kidnapped the children "following a domestic dispute with the children's mother" and that "It is unclear what Smith's relationship was to the mother or the children." The KSLA article describes the initial call as a "domestic assault." The children's surname is Marter while the perpetrator's surname is Smith. The domestic context implies an intimate-partner relationship, and the different surnames suggest he is not the biological father, indicating he was likely a male paramour or boyfriend of the children's mother.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The KSLA article describes the initial call as "an assault and battery" and states that "officers arrived to investigate the domestic assault." The People article states Smith kidnapped the children "following a domestic dispute with the children's mother." These references explicitly establish domestic violence by the perpetrator against the children's mother.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details not addressed by the preceding questions are present. First, the incident involved kidnapping and abduction of the children: the KSLA article states that "the woman told them her children had since been abducted" and that "there was a home invasion and kidnapping." The People article confirms Smith "kidnapped the children from a mobile home." Second, police deployed up to "21 units on the scene" in response to the unfolding situation. Third, the relationship between Smith and the victims' family was never officially clarified — the People article explicitly states "It is unclear what Smith's relationship was to the mother or the children." Finally, the Shreveport Police Officer's Association released an emotional public statement about the incident's toll on officers, calling it a "certain type of evil."
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