Reward offered in case of murdered Wayne State player

Nearly two weeks ago, Wayne State cornerback Cortez Smith was murdered following an argument in downtown Detroit.

Now, a $2,500 reward is being offered for any leads on the killer.

Smith was with several other Wayne State players when the group got into an altercation with five men outside a nightclub around 11:25 p.m. on May 5. One of the five men opened fire and Smith was shot in the chest and the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Since then, the police have had little to go on and little information has surfaced about who might have killed the 20-year-old Smith.

Smith's father, Robbie Smith, said his son was helping a friend who had been punched.

"He was a gifted athlete," Robbie Smith said. "He became recognized as a dominant corner player. He was hoping to go pro. He was going to blow up this year."

Smith transferred to Wayne State from Indiana after the 2008 season. After redshirting in 2009, Smith played in 11 games, started 7 and was named the team's Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was an electrical engineering major and was on the coach's honor roll.

If anyone has any information about the incident, they can call Crime Stoppers of Michigan or Detroit's homicide investigators.

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