MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — A 15-year-old girl left bleeding on a sidewalk. Her boyfriend sprinting away into the dark. And a grandmother who had no idea what had just happened when he came running back to her door.
That is how the night of Sept. 21, 2025 ended for Azoria Jones — and how it began for the case against Javier Smith.
Smith, who was 17 at the time, had been walking with Azoria when a single gunshot rang out. Neighbors heard it. One woman looked out her window and watched Azoria fall to the ground. Another heard her cry out, “Oh, my God!” before collapsing.
Smith leaned over Azoria for a few seconds — then ran.
He Told His Grandmother Someone Else Did It
Smith fled back to his grandmother’s house, told her “they shot her,” and had her call 911. When police eventually took him into custody three days later, he stuck to that story — at first.
He told investigators he heard a shot and ran. He denied owning a gun. He denied pulling the trigger.
But his story kept changing.
Eventually, Smith admitted he had been carrying a gun under his arm. He claimed it went off by accident when he thought a passing car was a threat. Later, he admitted he knew he was the one who shot Azoria — and that he believed he had shot her in the chest.
He told police he threw the gun into a sewer.
The Bus Camera Caught Everything
What sealed the case was surveillance footage from a Milwaukee County Transit bus that passed the couple just before the shooting.
At 10:19 p.m., the video captured the gunshot and Azoria falling. No other cars appeared in the area. There was no mysterious shooter. There was only Smith — leaning over the girl he had just shot, then running away.
12 Years Behind Bars
Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by six years of supervised release.
Azoria Jones was 15 years old. She never made it home that night.
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