Jhavare Smith Obituary, Death; – Authorities have stated that they are continuing their search for the individual responsible for a shooting that occurred early Sunday in the Dixwell neighborhood of the city, resulting in the death of an 18-year-old male. On Monday, the New Haven police confirmed the identity of the victim as Jhavare Smith, who was from Stratford.
The incident took place at approximately 2:47 a.m. on Sunday on Tilton Street, located just a few blocks from the downtown area. Officers who responded to the scene discovered Smith lying on the sidewalk. He was subsequently transported to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, according to officials.
During a news conference held on Monday afternoon, Police Chief Karl Jacobson reported that Smith was shot outside a house party and indicated that detectives were pursuing “several different leads,” which include video evidence that captured multiple vehicles fleeing the scene immediately following the shooting. Officers also recovered shell casings and live ammunition of two different calibers from the location, he noted.
“We are uncertain whether there were two shooters or if there was an exchange of gunfire,” Jacobson remarked. “It is still early in the investigation at this point.”
Approximately 20 minutes prior to Smith’s shooting, a 22-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to her foot on Crown Street. Jacobson mentioned that both Smith and the woman had been at Secrets nightclub located at 212 Crown St. earlier that evening. Although the victims did not seem to be acquainted, police have not dismissed the possibility that the two shootings may be related.
Jacobson stated that detectives intend to contact the nightclub as they continue to piece together the events that transpired. “We plan to speak with the owners to see if we can obtain some video footage from them and ensure that they are operating within the law,” Jacobson added.
Additionally, Jacobson noted that Smith had been present at a shooting incident in Stratford on June 3, during which 25 rounds were discharged, although Smith’s involvement in that event remains unclear. Several altercations erupted downtown on the night Smith was fatally shot, diverting officers in “multiple different directions,” Jacobson explained. Detectives are currently reviewing video footage of these disturbances and are hopeful to identify and apprehend those involved, he concluded.
In recent months, the police have been actively addressing the rising violence in the area. Over the past six months, police have increased patrols in downtown New Haven in response to larger crowds – especially younger people – gathering in the area, Jacobson said, citing a Halloween shooting last year that injured four people as one example.
Despite ongoing staffing shortages, Jacobson said the department will continue to prioritize patrols downtown throughout the summer. “It’s the summer months; we’re still short officers; we want to give the officers the ability to have some weekends off but we’re going to really concentrate our efforts on that downtown area to make sure we get it in line,” he said.
Smith’s death, New Haven’s seventh homicide victim of 2025, came less than 24 hours after Mayor Justin Elicker and other advocates gathered Saturday morning for the city’s Annual Day of Remembrance ceremony at the New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing, dedicated to the victims of gun violence.
