DAPHNE, Ala. (August 14, 2025)** — A community is reeling after a tragic incident in Baldwin County left a family of four dead in an apparent murder-suicide Thursday morning.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Sable Court in Daphne, where they discovered the bodies of four individuals—all with fatal gunshot wounds.
Authorities have confirmed the deceased are 44-year-old Kenneth O’Neil Smith Jr., 41-year-old Larrica Gaines Smith, and the couple’s two children: 15-year-old Khristian Smith and 11-year-old Kinsley Smith.
Sheriff Anthony Lowery stated that investigators have identified Kenneth O’Neil Smith Jr. as the shooter, based on forensic and circumstantial evidence gathered at the scene. A handgun believed to have been used in the killings was recovered from the home.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to the extended family, friends, and community who are suffering an unspeakable loss,” said Sheriff Lowery.
Authorities believe all four individuals lived in the home. No motive has been publicly disclosed, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Neighbors and local leaders have expressed their grief and shock, describing the Smith family as quiet and seemingly close-knit.
Grief counselors are being made available to local schools and community members in the wake of the tragedy.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with additional information to come forward as investigators continue to piece together the events that led to the devastating loss.
