Slain Union Gap 14-year-old remembered for smiles, zest for life

YAKIMA – More than 100 friends and family tearfully gathered Saturday afternoon to remember Kabin Smith.

The 2 p.m. service at CrossPoint Church was a celebration of the life of the Union Gap teenager, who was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in east Yakima last month.

Misty-eyed speakers fondly recalled that Kabin loved camping, basketball, biking and video games. But of the nearly dozen people who told stories of the teenager, most said they will always remember him for his smile and lively spirit.

An altar at the front of the room adorned with flower arrangements and a framed photo of the 14-year-old also held a wine-colored urn emblazoned with the silver image of a dove, symbolizing the peace many said they hoped to find as they move forward in their shared grief.

The baseball cap placed in front of the urn was intentionally selected by his family because it was red, Kabin’s favorite color.

His brother Derek Roberts reminded everyone of a happy time in Kabin’s life just days before his death, when a hair-cutting mishap between the teen and his best friend led to laughter and playful jabs between the two.

“Kabin was Kabin,” said family friend Jere Stephens, echoing the words of others who recounted stories of childhood mischief and the teenager’s apparent zest for life.

Kabin, an Eisenhower High School student, was shot and killed while he was walking near the corner of Cornell Avenue and West King Street on the morning of April 24. His shooting death was the sixth homicide in Yakima this year. So far, it’s the only one of the city’s seven homicides, the latest involving a 27-year-old man killed Friday night, that has seen an arrest.

Luiz Barrera, 23, was arrested April 28 by members of the Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force.

He is facing a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Kabin’s death. Police are searching for a second suspect in the case.

The arrest was only briefly acknowledged on Saturday by one of the many mourners who spoke during Kabin’s memorial service.

A woman who said she was Kabin’s first-grade teacher shared stories of having taught him years ago. She recalled the challenges she often faced in teaching Kabin, who others said didn’t like to do homework. She said she’d prayed for him while he was her student and was pleased to read in his memorial program that he started to have a relationship with Jesus Christ in the days before his death.

Of those who stood up during the hour-long service to share in his memory and remained afterward to lend support to his mother, Suzie Smith, all agreed they would have liked to have known the man Kabin would have become.

Had he lived, Kabin would have turned 15 on Tuesday.