A man has pled guilty to second degree murder and aggravated assault after shooting multiple people at a family reunion in June of 2023.
32-year-old George Alton Smith was sentenced to serve 40 years in state prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the crimes on Thursday.
On June 25, 2023, Canton police officers were dispatched to the Anderson Masonic Lodge after reports of multiple gunshot victims. Upon arriving, they found Jordan Deere had been shot and killed, along with Daryl Dortch, Densie Page, and James Williams also suffering from gunshot wounds. While the others survived, Dortch passed away from complications caused by the injuries on February 14, 2024.
The shooting happened inside the event hall during a large gathering for a weekend-long family reunion. Most of the attendees were able to escape the barrage of gunfire by running out of the building to a residential neighborhood behind the lodge.
Witnesses say the shooter entered the hall and immediately began firing indiscriminately at those inside, reloading his firearm several times as he carried out the attack.
Descriptions from family members, including two of the gunshot victims, identified the suspect by the clothing he wore and vehicle descriptions. Shell casings found at the crime scene matched the gun and ammunition found in Smith’s truck at the time of his arrest.
Smith was reportedly a stranger to those present at the family reunion and had no known ties to anyone at the reunion or in the Canton area. Investigators and prosecutors say there appears to be no motive for the assault.
“Our hearts go out to each and every person that was at the Anderson Masonic Lodge on June 25, 2023,” Madison and Rankin County District Attorney Bubba Bramlett said. “What should have been the final day of a family reunion turned into nightmare for the many men, women, and children who were at the Lodge at that time.
“We may never know why George Smith walked into that building and began firing on innocent strangers. But, we will continue to pray for all of those affected due to the incomprehensible violence at the hands of the Defendant.”
