NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The lawyer for Will Smith’s family said they will hold a news conference Wednesday, outside of University Medical Center at 11:30 AM. The coroner’s report is expected to come out later today, as well. The NOPD also released new information, including police scanner traffic, following Saturday’s deadly shooting: “Complainant says there’s a man down with about six gunshot wounds to the chest. I think we got the shooter on the scene. We got one gun recovered on scene.”
Police also saying now that they discovered not one, but two additional guns. A loaded revolver in the hummer of Cardell Hayes, and a loaded pistol in Will Smith’s car. Those guns were not fired. Detectives are also revealing, that there was a passenger in Hayes’s car (a man they questioned and released). There was another couple riding in Smith’s Mercedes as well. They were not hurt. Hayes did tell police he was the shooter when they got to the scene. Smith’s wife, Raquel, is still at the hospital, after she was shot once in the right leg.
We asked our Legal Analyst Craig Mordock about some of the recent developments with the case, like the surveillance video, that appears to show a hit and run leading up to Smith’s murder. He explains how this video may affect the prosecution and defense:
“The prosecution would probably argue that he didn’t know who the guy was, this guy’s chasing him, he’s trying to get away from him. Will Smith was the one who was frightened. And I think what the defense is going to say is, it’s a hit-and-run accident, you have to see if there’s any damage. It was reasonable for Cardell Hayes, because he didn’t know if there was any damage to his vehicle, to go after Will Smith and say, ‘Hey, I need your insurance information,'” said Mordock.
Many talking about the recently released cell phone video still, as well. In it, a witness describes what he thinks he saw.
“I think he will be a live witness at trial. I don’t know if that video will be admitted at trial. I think it makes it more likely that the self defense claim is not as viable. But there’s a lot more to this story, than just that video,” said Mordock.
The preliminary examination is set for April 28th at 10 AM in front of Judge Harry Cantrell. The Distrct Attorney has about 55 days now to indict Cardell Hayes. Hayes faces life without parole for this second degree murder charge. He still doesn’t face any charges for shooting Smith’s wife.