An Atlanta man pleaded guilty to killing a woman in a November 2010 northwest Atlanta shootout.
Gene Hendrix, 37, shot and killed Tammy Smith, on Nov. 10, 2010, fatally hitting the 47-year-old woman in the chest as he fired shots at her husband, court authorities said. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shawn LaGrua sentenced Hendrix to life plus five years.
According to court reports, Hendrix believed that Smith’s husband stole a gun from him on a previous visit.
Hendrix returned to the home on Newport Street and kicked in the door, opening fire in an attempt to retrieve the stolen gun, court officials said. Smith’s husband returned fire, hitting Hendrix in the arm.
Hendrix chased Tammy Smith into the kitchen, where he killed her, according to court reports. The shooter then ran out the back door. Police arrested him after a short foot chase.
Hendrix was scheduled to stand trial this week but entered a guilty plea to felony murder and weapons charges as jury selection began, Fulton County district attorney’s office spokeswoman Yvette Brown said in a statement.
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