‘I couldn’t help myself.’ Tacoma man charged in attempted murder of local rapper
A Tacoma man has been charged in the drive-by shooting of a rival gang member last week in Lakewood.
Prosecutors charged Kendrick Bernard Smith, 20, on Feb. 6 with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault for the Feb. 5 drive-by shooting, court records show.
A bench warrant was issued for Smith’s arrest, court records show. He was arrested Tuesday morning and booked into Pierce County Jail.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Smith’s behalf during his arraignment Wednesday. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set bail at $500,000, according to records.
Details from charging papers
Charging documents say that at about 4:20 p.m., a Lakewood officer was at 100th Street Southwest and South Tacoma Way when she heard the sound of rapid gunfire nearby. A silver car entered a parking lot at high speed and stopped. Several windows were shattered, and there were bullet defects along the passenger side of the car. The driver was found bleeding from his head due to a grazing gunshot wound, documents say.
Documents show 14 bullet casings were found on the road at 100th Street Count near a gas station.
The victim told police he was driving towards South Tacoma Way when he heard gunshots that sounded like they came from an “automatic switch,” documents show. He then heard glass shatter and felt a burning sensation on the back of his head. The victim had to drive over a raised center curb to get away. He added that he did not see the shooter.
Officers were familiar with the victim as he was a part of a street gang and is a local rapper. His recent music video from Jan. 21 appeared to have content that disrespected a street gang in the Hilltop area of Tacoma. The victim acknowledged that was likely the motive for the shooting, according to court documents.
Surveillance video from the gas station reportedly captured the shooting. The victim’s vehicle was going in the left lane at 100th Street Southwest and behind him was a gray BMW X3, documents show. When both vehicles were near the gas station, the BMW’s driver turned slightly towards the entrance and allegedly fired gunshots into the victim’s car.
Documents show the BMW drove off at high speed. Detectives noted the license plate of the BMW was captured in the footage.
A witness allegedly reported to detectives that they were in the passenger seat of the BMW with Smith, also known as “Hellcat,” documents show. The witness said Smith is a member of the street gang from the Hilltop area. They alleged he had fired the rounds from an automatic handgun at the victim after recognizing him as a rival gang member. The witness said when they protested against the shooting, Smith said something to the effect of, “I couldn’t help myself.”
Smith was convicted in July 2024 for reckless driving and reckless endangerment in Pierce County, according to court records.
