A 26-year-old man from Davenport, Iowa, is facing multiple felony charges, including criminal homicide, after allegedly shooting his girlfriend and her five children during a domestic dispute in Madison, Tennessee, on Saturday night.
Jovien T. Smith is being held without eligibility for release at the Downtown Detention Center in Nashville following the deadly incident, which left a 4-year-old girl dead and two other young children in critical condition.
According to Metro Nashville Police, the shooting occurred around 10 p.m. on Westchester Drive while Smith was riding in a Dodge minivan with his 41-year-old girlfriend and her children. The woman, who was visiting from Illinois, reportedly got into a heated argument with Smith as they were driving. During the dispute, Smith allegedly threw her phone out the window and tried to seize control of the steering wheel.
After safely pulling over, the woman was shot multiple times by Smith, who then turned his weapon on the children inside the vehicle. Police say Smith fired several rounds into the minivan, striking four of the five children.
The 4-year-old victim later died from her injuries. The youngest children—ages 1 and 7—remain in critical condition at Vanderbilt Pediatrics. Each of the wounded children had been shot multiple times, according to investigators.
Following the shooting, Smith reportedly pursued the injured mother on foot as she ran from the vehicle in search of help. Nearby residents called police, and officers from the Madison Precinct quickly arrived on the scene and apprehended Smith without further incident.
The woman was transported to Skyline Medical Center and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
Smith was booked into jail early Sunday morning at 4:11 a.m. and is now facing a total of 10 felony charges, including:
- One count of criminal homicide
- Five counts of attempted criminal homicide
- Three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- One count of aggravated burglary
His total bond is set at $2.6 million, though the criminal homicide charge carries no bond. According to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Smith is also under a 12-hour domestic violence hold, a mandatory court order, and is required to undergo DNA testing.
The names of the victims have not yet been released. Authorities are continuing their investigation and urge anyone with additional information to contact Metro Police at 615-862-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.