It sounds like the worst kind of breakup. A fight between mom and dad ends in almost the entire family being killed. It is unclear what they were fighting about but Eric Smith is said to have killed Christin Parker, 32, and her nephew Brandon Parker, 26, in Louisiana. Then he took off to Mississippi with his 3-month-old baby. Police chase him and open fire killing dad and the baby.

The Advocate reports that “while leading police on a chase through Louisiana and Mississippi following a double homicide near Baker, Eric Derrell Smith sat behind the wheel holding his infant son with one hand and his gun in the other. The pursuit lasted most of that Monday afternoon, ending in a shootout with law enforcement that left Smith dead in the Interstate 10 median near Biloxi. His son died hours later in the hospital from injuries sustained during the incident”.

Insider reports that Biloxi police knew that 3-month-old La’Mello Parker was in the front seat of the car when they opened fire.

This all started when Eric Derrell Smith killed La’Mello’s mother in Louisiana and took off with his son on May 3, 2021. Police chased him to Mississippi and then stopped him with a spike strip near Biloxi. Insider says that a bystander video shows the moment the car came to a stop, and officers circled the vehicle with guns drawn. Just seconds later, the sound of multiple rounds being fired could be heard. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, while La’Mello died at a hospital the following day.

A call log from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department in Mississippi to Insider shows that officers knew a baby was in the front seat of the vehicle. A law enforcement source told Fox 10 that Smith had been holding his son as a human shield. The Advocate, citing an anonymous source, reported a similar story — that Smith had been holding his son on his chest while driving. The source also told The Advocate that Smith fired a shot at officers at least an hour before the final shootout, injuring no one. The Advocate said it was unclear who fired first in the final shootout.

“Why would they shoot if they knew a baby was in the car, why would they do that?” Lashunda Parker asked on Tuesday after learning about the call log, “…if they knew La’Mello was in the front seat, and they had Smith surrounded. “I’m angry about it. I’m also angry about what happened to his mother and her nephew. It was three tragedies in one day and that’s horrible.”

It was actually four tragedies in one day. Why didn’t police just follow him and wait until someone else had the baby? The Advocate says that details show that “deputies responded to a 911 hang-up call on Richmond Street near Baker. When deputies arrived on scene, they found Christin Parker, 32, and her nephew Brandon Parker, 26, dead from gunshot wounds inside their house. Her young daughter had run outside after hearing gunshots and got help from a neighbor, officials said. The child told deputies what she saw, which allowed them to quickly identify the suspected shooter. Christin Parker had been in a relationship with Smith until their somewhat recent breakup. Officials believe Smith took their baby from the Baker house after the shooting. From there, deputies started tracking Smith, who was driving around in a blue Nissan Altima. They ultimately caught up with him on Interstate 10 and were able to deploy spike strips, which slowed him down considerably but failed to completely disable his car. At some point during the pursuit — at least an hour before the final shootout — Smith fired his weapon, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. No officers were injured”.

Minding Hearts is building advocacy and peer support groups in each state.  The groups are created to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for those that might not otherwise be heard. We are here for encouragement, education, and support. We cannot give legal advice, but we can try and direct you in the right direction with your case. Links to legal services are listed with their states. Please share and let’s grow our groups. We are here to support families and develop resources that maintain family integrity. We look forward to your support. If you would rather become active by donating, then visit the donation page.