On a late summer afternoon in Kansas City, Kansas, the life of 30-year-old Maurice Hunter Jr., a Black male, was tragically cut short. On September 1, 2019, police responded to a call at approximately 2:08 p.m. in the 5900 block of State Avenue, where they discovered Hunter in the street with apparent gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel who also responded to the scene confirmed that he had died from his injuries.
The incident took place at the Carroll Creek trailer park where Hunter lived with his girlfriend. Loved ones described him as an outgoing man who loved basketball and was a father to four children.
The events leading to the fatal shooting reportedly began with a heated argument between Hunter and his girlfriend. During the dispute, his girlfriend's 19-year-old daughter, Alexia Lasha Hendricks, became involved. According to statements made during the investigation, the argument escalated, and at some point, a gun was introduced. Hendricks claimed that Hunter had grabbed a gun and threatened to harm himself. She stated that after he put the weapon down, she picked it up. Hendricks alleged that as she was attempting to give the gun to Hunter, it accidentally discharged, striking him in the chest at point-blank range. Following the shooting, Hunter's Chevrolet Trailblazer was missing from the scene, believed to have been taken by the shooter.
In the days following the shooting, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division launched a homicide investigation. Their efforts led them to identify Alexia Lasha Hendricks as the primary suspect. She was taken into custody and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and aggravated robbery. The charges alleged that she had taken the vehicle from Hunter by force or threat of bodily harm. Hendricks eventually turned herself in to the authorities. Although she maintained that the shooting was accidental, she later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. As a result of her plea, she faced a sentence of approximately nine years in prison.
