Family, community remember man killed at youth football championship in Madison

MADISON, Ill. (First Alert 4) - People gathered Tuesday to remember 64-year-old Steve Smith, who was shot and killed Nov. 1 while attending his grandson’s youth football championship at Madison Senior High School in Madison, Illinois.

Family remembers Smith

Myia Woolfolk, the mother of Smith’s grandson, said the shooting happened while her son was attending his championship game.

“It was just a horrific event, especially for my son to be celebrating or, you know, attending his Super Bowl game,” Woolfolk said.

Woolfolk said Smith was a loving person who adored his family.

“He was very understanding. He didn’t have a hot temper or anything. The sweetest, the most humblest person I’ve ever met,” Woolfolk said.

Woolfolk described what she remembers when the gunfire rang out.

“My child’s father threw my son to me. So he must have, you know, hurried and grabbed him off of the field. And just, you know, as a panicked situation,” Woolfolk said.

Students hold vigil

Students of Madison Senior High held a vigil Tuesday night calling for an end to gun violence. Smith’s family was invited to attend.

“My whole life I’ve attended Madison, and I’ve never once been or heard of a game getting shot up, so I was very devastated,” said Ricaya Newsome, a student organizer.

Timothy Nealy was also another student organizer.

“We would like to just prevent anything from happening at any school and anywhere. We do not like the gun violence,” Nealy said.

The students called for significant change, with one student saying, “Violence is not the answer, especially not gun violence at that.”

Three people charged

Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Tuesday the arrest of three people connected with the shooting.

Carl Tucker, 18, is charged with first-degree murder in Smith’s death along with shooting three other people.

Jeffrey Mosby of Granite City has several felony gun charges. Briana Simms is charged with obstructing justice.

Haine was asked why the suspects were at the game and whether they knew each other. Haine said he could not answer that question right now and said that information would come out later in court.

For more information on the earlier press conference with Haine, click here.