Bernita Smith is now a grieving mother dealing with the loss of a child. Her son James /had zeroed in on the “Win Like ’96” Air Jordan 11 as the one thing he wanted for Christmas. She paid the $220 for the kicks and gave them to her son James Smith early “because he asked and he’s a good kid.”
Sadly, the 17-year-old only got to enjoy them for a mere four days.
According to police, a gunman shot James on a basketball court at the Frederick Douglass Community Center. Police also stated James ran a block after being shot,running a block before collapsing. His mother indicated the attacker pilfered his son’s shoes. James was discovered, shoeless, a block away from the center; he died not even two hours later at a local hospital.
His mother said this of her son James: “He was an all-American kid, He loved basketball. He loved his computer games…I can’t believe he was killed, all over a pair of shoes.”
James Smith is survived by his mother, older brother and stepfather.
