Smith opened fire near Normandale Park on Feb. 19, 2022, killing June Knightly, a 60-year-old racial justice activist. Four people were seriously injured. One was paralyzed from the neck down, according to court documents.
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An Oregon man has pleaded guilty to nine charges in the fatally shooting of a racial justice protester and injuring four others.
Smith pleaded guilty to nine charges: second-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and four assault charges.
Smith had come out of his apartment and started yelling at a small group of protesters. According to witnesses, attempts to de-escalate failed, and Smith drew a handgun and began firing.
During the shooting, an armed bystander returned firee, critically injuring Smith.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Marshall told spectators that the court proceeding was an attempt to make sense of a situation "that shouldn’t be part of the human experience," Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.