He turned to comedy after prison; now comic is charged in Overland Park murder

As a stand-up comic, Michael Collins Smith has undoubtedly faced some tough audiences.

But the next audience he faces may be the toughest he’s ever seen — a 12-person jury of Johnson County residents.

Smith, who performs under the name Mike Smith, is charged with the first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of an Overland Park man on Thursday.

Anthony L. Shuster, 28, was killed at an apartment complex in the 7500 block of West 106th Street.

Smith, 47, is also charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly wounding a woman in the incident and with endangering a child who was present when the shooting occurred.

He made his first appearance Monday afternoon in Johnson County District Court and is being held in jail on a $1 million bond.

Police have not commented on what led to the shooting. Court documents outlining the evidence against Smith have not been made public.

On his website, Smith says he got into comedy after a “dubious life of crime.” He described his crimes as “selling drugs and robbing dope boys.”

According to Kansas Department of Corrections records, Smith served about 10 years in prison for aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm before he was paroled in 2000.

He said he turned to comedy “in an attempt at redemption.”

He has toured the country and performed alongside notable comedians Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle and Larry The Cable Guy, and he has appeared on the BET network, according to his website.

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 10:45 AM with the headline "He turned to comedy after prison; now comic is charged in Overland Park murder."