Fayetteville, North Carolina, is mourning a devastating loss after a violent confrontation left three members of the Smith family dead on January 25. What began as an argument escalated into a deadly encounter involving both gunfire and a knife, forever shattering a family and community.

Authorities reported that Nijyle Lewis, 25, entered the home of Cheri Smith, 50, on North Sumac Circle around 9:30 p.m., and within hours, tragedy struck. Cheri, along with her son Erin Poole, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her daughter, Amanda Smith, 23, was critically injured but succumbed to her wounds at a local hospital. The sudden violence has left neighbors and friends in shock, questioning how a familiar face could turn a domestic dispute into a triple homicide.

Lewis, who sustained serious injuries during the altercation, fled the scene on foot before seeking help at a neighbor’s home. Police later apprehended him, and he is currently hospitalized in stable condition. He now faces three counts of first-degree murder, with investigators reviewing witness accounts, surveillance footage, and emergency call records to piece together the sequence of events that led to this catastrophic loss.