Woman says she was pistol-whipping man when gun went off, killing him

A woman arrested Tuesday after a fatal shooting in Henderson told police she was trying to pistol-whip the victim when the gun discharged, killing him.

Lucretia Smith, 28, was arrested and booked into the Henderson Detention Center on Tuesday on one count of murder, police said. Jail records show that she is being held without bail.

Officers and firefighters responded to the 500 block of Chelsea Drive just after noon on Monday and found a 31-year-old man with a gunshot wound, police said. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

A Henderson police arrest report for Smith identified the victim as Mario Hunt. The report said Smith and Hunt were arguing at a home on Chelsea, near West Sunset Road and Arroyo Grande Boulevard, which spilled out into the front yard of the residence. There, the two struck each other in a fight captured by video surveillance cameras.

Police said the video showed witnesses separating the two and Hunt walking away. Smith, police said, ran to a nearby Jeep and drove after him, then emerged with a handgun.

“When she gets close to Mario, she holds the gun away from her thigh and raises it above her head and forcefully strikes it down hitting Mario,” police wrote in the report.

Police said the gun “instantaneously” discharged and Hunt fell to the ground.

“Lucretia stumbles and falls to her knees but quickly gets up and runs to the Jeep,” police said, adding that Smith left one of her sandals behind at the scene.

After identifying Smith as the suspect, police obtained a search warrant for a home where she was staying and found a 9 mm handgun. Police said Smith subsequently confessed to the shooting.

“Lucretia stated she attempted to ‘pistol-whip’ Mario but the handgun discharged striking Mario in the forehead,” police wrote in the report.

Smith was scheduled for an appearance in Henderson Justice Court early Wednesday.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter. Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter.