On April 22, 2026, officers responded to a shooting report at [ADDRESS REDACTED] in Brooklyn Center, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Dispatch notes relayed that a male (“Victim 1”) had called and stated that Ariyana Smith had shot at him twice with a pink handgun. Officers later fully identified the suspect as Defendant ARIYANA ANN SMITH, born on [DOB REDACTED]. Responding officers spoke with Victim 1 at a nearby location. Victim 1 reported that Defendant had shot at him and described her as wearing a tie-dye shirt.
Victim 1 explained that he had gone to the apartment complex to drop off a friend. Both Victim 1 and Defendant saw each other and began yelling at each other. Defendant then shot twice at Victim 1’s car. Victim 1 made a U-turn in the parking lot while calling 911. Dispatch asked him to describe Defendant’s vehicle, so Victim 1 drove back to the apartment complex. When Victim 1 returned, Defendant shot at Victim 1 again. Officers noted that the vehicle Victim 1 was driving had a bullet hole in the grille area.
Victim 1 described Defendant firing a pink and black LC9 firearm. Victim 1 and Defendant dated for five years and have a minor child [NAME REDACTED], and this child [NAME REDACTED]. Other officers responded to the shooting scene, which was the parking lot of an apartment complex. There, officers located Defendant and her mother standing near a silver Chevrolet Impala. Officers located an unfired cartridge and a discharged cartridge casing in the parking lot near the Impala. In a Miranda statement, Defendant initially denied possessing a firearm and claimed that Victim 1 shot her.
Later, Defendant admitted that the firearm was in the glove box of the Impala and that she had fired shots after a brief physical altercation with Victim 1. Defendant explained that she fired the first shot in the air to scare Victim 1 as he walked away. Once Victim 1 entered his vehicle and drove off, Defendant feared that he may return because Victim 1 briefly stopped the vehicle. Defendant then fired off two more rounds toward Victim 1, after which Victim 1 drove away. Defendant stated that she shot at Victim 1 because she “needed to do something for herself” and because she was fed up with Victim 1 always causing her problems.
Defendant confirmed that she was the only person who fired a gun that day and that she shot at Victim 1 to scare him. Victim 2 was in the vehicle with Victim 1 and described Victim 1 and Defendant having a verbal argument about child issues. Victim 2 saw Defendant return to her vehicle, grab a brown fanny pack, and shoot twice at Victim 1 and Victim 2’s vehicle. Victim 2 described Defendant’s firearm as a pink and black compact style pistol. Witness 1 was in their residence and heard noise coming from the parking lot.
Witness 1 activated the Ring camera on their balcony and provided that footage to officers. The camera captured yelling between female parties and a male party. An officer reviewing the footage then heard sounds consistent with gunshots. Defendant is in custody.
