Slain Saginaw teen, family moved to escape Chicago violence, friend says

Akua Smith stood in her driveway with family Sunday, pleading for help finding the killer of her 17-year-old son, Jordan Miles.

“Jordan deserves at least justice,” Smith said, just a few doors down from where the teenager was fatally shot Saturday afternoon. “I do believe there are people who know what happened and why it happened, and I’m begging them to come forward.”

As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made, Saginaw police Capt. Russell Ragsdale said Sunday in a telephone interview.

“Police are interviewing witnesses, and the investigation is ongoing,” Ragsdale said.

According to police, the shooter has not been identified.

Miles would have been 18 on Tuesday, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office.

The Saginaw High School senior was in the 200 block of Creekside Drive when he was shot once. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he died.

Police said they responded to a 911 call about a possible shooting at 2:07 p.m. Saturday. A witness told them of hearing an argument and then a single gunshot.

A witness said the shooter fled in a maroon compact car before police arrived, police said.

Ragsdale said the shooting occurred during “an altercation” but that police had not determined what it was about or found an eyewitness.

Miles’ mother remained in shock Sunday.

“He had the best, the warmest smile,” she told the Star-Telegram. “And even when you were angry with him he could turn on that smile and defuse the situation. So for him to be a victim of violence is a really hard concept for me to swallow.”

She said her son included her when he was hanging out with his friends.

“He liked to cook for me and watch me eat,” Smith said. “He was a loving brother to his little sister. He played with her and spent time with her and treated her like a princess.”

Family friend Marvin Jackson said Miles, who had a sense of humor, was his fishing buddy.

“The first time we went fishing, he threw the whole line, the rod, the reel in the water,” Jackson said. “I made him go get it, but he was game to go do that.”

Jackson said his family and Miles’ moved from the Chicago area to get away from violence.

“We came here from Chicago to get away from this type of madness,” he said Sunday. “He’ll be well-missed.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Slain Saginaw teen, family moved to escape Chicago violence, friend says."