J’Mere Ridley-Smith Obituary, Death News: Wegmans worker killed in warehouse shooting, co-worker arrested in Tennessee

Freeman Nonny

J’Mere Ridley-Smith Obituary, Death News – Authorities in Gates, New York, have identified the man who was shot and killed over the weekend at the Wegmans warehouse on Brooks Avenue. The victim, 25-year-old J’Mere Ridley-Smith of Rochester, was fatally shot by a fellow Wegmans employee while working inside the distribution center on Saturday, July 26.

According to Gates Police Chief Rob Long, the shooting occurred around 4:15 p.m. while Ridley-Smith was loading pallets in a cooler unit within the facility. Officers responded to reports of gunfire and discovered that Ridley-Smith had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Multiple 9mm shell casings were recovered from the area, and the incident unfolded in front of several co-workers, creating what police described as a “chaotic scene.”

Wegmans spokesperson Deana Percassi expressed condolences, calling Ridley-Smith “a valued member of our team” and stating that his loss leaves a deep void among his colleagues.

The suspected shooter, identified as 32-year-old Kyshonn Green of Gates, fled the scene before police arrived. Law enforcement launched a multi-state manhunt, and Green was later located and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Knoxville, Tennessee, around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. Authorities also recovered a loaded 9mm handgun from him at the time of his arrest.

Green is expected to be extradited back to New York, where he will face charges related to the homicide. Gates police are working with the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether he will be charged with first- or second-degree murder. Investigators are still looking into the motive behind the shooting, and Green was not previously known to local law enforcement.

This incident marks the second fatal workplace shooting in Gates within a few days. Just two days earlier, on July 24, another Rochester man, 24-year-old Markis Ortiz-Harris, was shot and killed outside the Amazon fulfillment center on Manitou Road. Ortiz-Harris was sitting in his car waiting for his shift to begin when an unknown individual approached and opened fire. The suspect fled the scene and remains at large.

Despite the proximity in time and setting, police say there is no indication that the two homicides are connected. Both victims were employees at large warehouse facilities, but investigators have found no evidence linking the two cases.

The investigation into Ridley-Smith’s killing is ongoing, and police continue to gather details about what led up to the shooting. Meanwhile, no arrests have been made in the Amazon warehouse case, and officials are asking the public for help. Anyone with information about either incident is urged to call 911 or contact Gates Police at (585) 247-2262.

As the community mourns the loss of two young men in separate but similarly shocking incidents, local authorities are emphasizing the importance of workplace safety and continuing efforts to bring justice to both victims’ families.

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