Long Island Man, 'Good, Loving Dad,' Gunned Down In Parking Lot
MASTIC BEACH, NY — Alex Smith, who is the younger brother of boxer Joseph Smith Jr., was shot dead in a confrontation in a parking lot in Mastic Beach early Saturday morning, authorities said.
The death of the 30-year-old Mastic resident has left his family devastated, said his stepmother, Tracy Smith.
“When you encountered Alex, he was always shining the room up, and to be gunned down like that is just crazy,” she said in a phone interview.
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Smith was shot in the lot of 373 Neighborhood Rd., a building that houses Linsa Torr’s Place and the Greater Mastic Beach Chamber of Commerce, at around 2 a.m., and he died at the scene, Suffolk police said.
The building is adjacent to the Mastic Beach Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library, which was closed at the time.
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Neighborhood Road was closed between Diana Drive and Commack Road for several hours while police investigated.
Smith, who worked for his family’s tree service, leaves behind four children ranging from 9 months to 9 years old. He has eight siblings, including Smith Jr., whose nickname is “The Irish Bomber,” a WBO light heavyweight.
Saturday night he was remembered by his father, Joseph, and Tracy, as “a good guy,” who “liked to help people out.”
“Alex had his flaws like everybody else, but you know what he was? He was good, and he was a loving dad,” Tracy said.
Smith was cool, funny, and cared about his kids and his little brother. He was always helping someone out, particularly his siblings by giving them advice on doing the right thing and listening.
“He had a lot of friends; he’s going to be missed by a lot of people,” Joseph added.
One woman, who asked not to be named, on Saturday afternoon called Smith “a great guy” and said the community was in shock over his slaying.
Former Suffolk County Legis. Kate Browning, who served as Smith’s bus driver when he was a child, recalled him as a youngster with his brothers — all rambunctious little boys with the blondest ringlets and the bluest eyes.
“It’s really heartbreaking,” she said.
Browning said that gun violence of any kind “is senseless.”
Smith’s family is collecting donations for the burial on GiveSendGo.
“Our son was tragically murdered,” reads the post. “We are absolutely devastated by the loss of Alex and were not by any means prepared to pay for the funeral of our son.”
“We would like for Alex to receive the memorial he deserves in order to honor his memory and for us all to say our last goodbyes,” it continues.
So far, the page has raised over $4,340 toward its $20,000 goal.
The money will be used to fund funeral expenses and whatever is left over will be given to his children, Tracy Smith said.
Suffolk’s Homicide Squad’s is continuing to investigate Smith’s shooting.
Further details about the shooting were not immediately available.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392, or Crime Stoppers, a confidential police hotline, at 1-800-220-TIPS.
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