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Dean Hill, COLUMBUS, Ga., Obituary, Death: Evening gunfire on Merrywood Drive leaves 30-year-old dead after desperate fight to save his life

Dean Hill’s life came to a sudden and violent end on Thursday evening in Columbus, Georgia. The 30-year-old was shot on Merrywood Drive in a burst of gunfire that shattered a quiet stretch of the neighborhood and left residents stunned. What began as an ordinary evening quickly turned into a scene of panic, sirens, and heartbreak.


It happened shortly after 5 p.m. on May 7, 2026. Police were called to reports of multiple gunshots in the area. When officers arrived, they found Hill lying with serious gunshot wounds. The situation was already critical, and every second counted.


Emergency medical crews rushed him to Piedmont Emergency Room. Paramedics worked urgently in transit, trying to stabilize him. But the injuries were too severe, and doctors were unable to bring him back.


Later, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed Hill’s death. His body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Decatur for an autopsy as part of the standard investigative process.


News of his death spread quickly, hitting family and friends with shock and disbelief. Those who knew him described him in simple, personal terms—someone who was part of their everyday lives, not someone they expected to lose this way.


Police investigators moved fast in the hours after the shooting. Evidence was gathered at the scene, and the Violent Crimes Unit began building the timeline of what happened on Merrywood Drive that evening.


Authorities later arrested 27-year-old Korbet Smith in connection with the shooting. He was charged with murder along with a weapons offense and taken into custody as the case moved into the court system.


Smith is being held ahead of a scheduled court appearance set for May 14 in Recorder’s Court. Even with an arrest made, officials say the investigation is still active as they continue to examine every detail.


For Hill’s family, the legal process offers little comfort right now. They are left with grief and unanswered questions, holding onto memories of a man whose life ended far too soon in a moment of violence that changed everything.

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