Detective: Murder suspect fired shotgun at victim during disorder at a Lexington home
A deadly shooting at a Lexington home last week stemmed from an altercation between two men, and a woman and child were inside at the time of the incident, according to testimony from a Lexington detective in court on Friday.
Steven Smith, 32, has been charged with murder, fourth degree assault, two counts of wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for his alleged role in the killing of 57-year-old Clarence Adams. Smith also allegedly assaulted a woman prior to the shooting, according to court testimony made Friday.
During a preliminary hearing on Friday, Detective Nicholas Music with the Lexington Police Department said the shooting occurred at Smith’s house on Devonia Avenue just before 6 p.m. on Sept. 8. Officers were responding to a report of a disorder with a weapon and when they arrived, they found 57-year-old Clarence Adams dead from a gunshot wound.
A woman and child were present during the shooting and met officers outside the residence when they arrived, according to Music. Smith was arrested on scene.
The woman told officers she had gotten into a verbal argument with Smith and was kicked in the stomach by Smith, Music said. Adams, who is the woman’s father, intervened in the argument but backed off to call police after Smith pointed a handgun at him.
Adams eventually came back inside the house with the goal of getting the woman and child out of the house but was shot in the chest by Smith with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to Music. The woman and the child were in the same room with Smith and Adams when Smith fired the single shot but were out of the line of fire, Music said.
The woman and the child did not suffer any injuries, Music said. Adams was unarmed.
The shotgun belonged to Smith, as well as a handgun found at the house, Music said. Smith is a convicted felon, and was charged with possessing a gun as a convicted felon.
Smith is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records.
Smith’s attorney argued against the wanton endangerment charges, citing the woman and child were not in the line of fire during the shooting, but Judge Melissa Murphy felt there was still probable cause for all the charges and sent Smith’s case to a grand jury.
A grand jury will determine if there is enough evidence to indict Smith on his charges, which would send his case to circuit court and lead to a potential trial.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 10:51 AM.
