Gadsden, AL – An Oxford man, Tommy Junior Smith, 39, has been arrested and is currently being held in the Etowah County Jailfollowing a road rage incident in Gadsden on September 17, which resulted in the shooting of a woman. Smith is facing charges of first-degree assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
According to a news release from the Gadsden Police Department, officers responded to reports of a shooting at the intersection of Rainbow Drive and Lakewood Drive at approximately 3:17 p.m. Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement and medical personnel found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. Fortunately, her injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening, and she was treated on the scene by medics.
As authorities investigated, it was determined that the suspect, later identified as Smith, had fired from his vehicle—a Jeep truck—during a road rage confrontation before fleeing in the direction of Interstate 759.
Thanks to swift action by local law enforcement, Smith’s vehicle was spotted by Rainbow City Police shortly after the incident. Officers were able to stop the Jeep and arrest Smith without further incident. The Gadsden Police Department stressed that this was an isolated road rage incident, and there is no ongoing threat to public safety.
Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford praised local law enforcement and neighboring agencies for their rapid response, highlighting the use of flock cameras—automatic license plate reading technology—which played a critical role in identifying and apprehending the suspect.
Smith remains in custody, awaiting further legal proceedings. The incident remains under investigation by the Gadsden Police Department.
