Pontiac man shoots 3 men who came to pick up woman's belongings, police say

Giovanni Smith killed, 2 men injured in shooting

PONTIAC, Mich. – A Pontiac man shot three people who came to pick up a woman's belongings, police said. A 20-year-old man was killed and two others were injured.

Giovanni Smith, 20 of West Bloomfield Township, and two other men -- a 16-year-old West Bloomfield boy and a 21-year-old Farmington Hills man -- went to a Pontiac home to pick up his sister's belongings.

Police said the woman and the Pontiac man were in a relationship and had broken up. The family maintains that Smith's sister was never in a relationship with the Pontiac man accused in the shooting.

The family released the following statement: "Contrary to news reports about the shooting death of Giovanni Smith of West Bloomfield Township, Smith's sister was never in a relationship with the Pontiac man accused of the fatal shooting."

Police said they went to the home in the area of Samburu Street and Lydia Lane in Pontiac at 10:34 p.m. to pick up the belongings because Smith's sister had broken up with a 25-year-old Pontiac man.

When Smith and the other two men got to the home on Lydia Lane, they got into an argument with the 25-year-old on the front porch, according to authorities.

The 25-year-old went into the home, came out with a handgun and fired shots at the other men, according to police.

Smith was killed in the shooting. One of the other men was shot in the leg, and another was shot in the arm, according to authorities.

They drove themselves to McLaren Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Police received a call about the shooting in which the caller identified the 25-year-old man by name, according to officials.

Deputies said they found Smith dead in the grass between the sidewalk and the street in the 600 block of Lydia Lane. He had a gunshot wound to the head, deputies said.

When police approached the home, the 25-year-old man came out and identified himself with the same name the caller used, officials said. He was taken into custody.

Authorities recovered a gun they suspect was used in the shooting.


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Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.