UTICA, NY — A 31-year-old man was arrested early Saturday after allegedly stabbing his ex-wife’s boyfriend in the face, then returning hours later to open fire on the same residence in a violent overnight domestic outburst, Utica Police said.
Police and fire crews initially responded around 12:30 a.m. to a home on the 1400 block of Sunset Avenue for a reported stabbing. Witnesses told officers that Paris Smith, the ex-husband of the resident, had shown up and gotten into an argument with her current boyfriend before pulling a knife and inflicting a severe facial laceration. Smith fled the scene before police arrived.
Key Points
- Paris Smith, 31, allegedly stabbed a man, then returned hours later to fire multiple shots at a Utica home
- Victims received threatening texts from the suspect as police investigated
- Smith was later arrested following a standoff at another residence where a loaded handgun was found
Shots fired at home just hours after stabbing incident
Roughly 90 minutes later, a ShotSpotter alert notified police of multiple gunshots fired at the same Sunset Avenue address. Officers returned and found that shots had been fired at the residence and at a vehicle in the driveway.
Police said Smith had returned to the scene, engaged in another physical altercation with individuals there, and then opened fire as he exited the home. Shortly afterward, victims at the residence began receiving text messages from Smith containing threats of additional violence.
Suspect located after standoff, loaded firearm recovered
Around 4:00 a.m., officers were dispatched to a home on the 1500 block of Lincoln Avenue for a separate domestic-related incident. Police determined Smith was inside and began negotiations to have him surrender. After more than 90 minutes, a patrol sergeant was able to convince him to exit peacefully.
Smith was taken into custody without incident. Later that morning, investigators executed a search warrant at the Lincoln Avenue residence and discovered a loaded .380 caliber handgun.
Criminal charges filed, investigation ongoing
The cases were assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. Smith was officially charged later on April 26. Authorities have not released the specific list of charges but confirmed they relate to the stabbing, shooting, and subsequent threats.
No additional injuries were reported beyond the initial stabbing victim.
