‘It’s still unbelievable’: Family members speak about woman killed in road rage shooting
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — For family members of Tracey Smith, the last few days have been tough.
“It’s been real hard,” said Cheryl Brown.
The person her cousin says was the life of their family is now gone.
“Whenever we had a gathering she’s the one we were waiting on to bring the life of the party,” said Howard Brown.
He said his mom called him Friday to deliver the news Smith had been killed.
“I thought it was going to stop at a simple car accident, but we didn’t know, I didn’t know, the last part was going to be they shot and killed her,” said Brown.
Police say Smith was killed Friday in a road rage shooting near 51st and Capitol when a person who hit the car she was in allegedly shot her. The suspect left the scene. Police announced on Monday they had made an arrest.
“You’re the one that caused the accident but then you’re mad and you take her life and then you just drive away like it was nothing,” said Cheryl Brown.
Her 17-year-old son, seeing it all, and then driving her to the hospital with the help of witnesses.
“Like what kid has to see someone take his mom’s life and then you have to be the one to take them to the hospital?” said Cheryl Brown, “Her boys have to continue through life with their mother not there and then her son that was there, that’s going to affect him for the rest of his life, like he's never going to be the same.”
A family losing someone who would light up the room.
“Like she’s just out teaching him how to drive and she’s gone,” said Brown.
Friends say Smith was a sergeant at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, who had worked for the DOC for more than 20 years.
Friends who spoke with CBS 58 say they want people to know that Smith was an outstanding, loveable person, who was so much fun to be around.