A man awaiting trial over accusations he shot three people, wounding one in the face and critically injuring another at a west Little Rock hotel, was wanted by the law Monday after a Pulaski County Circuit judge's order that he be arrested following accusations that the 25-year-old defendant has been seen using stolen credit cards.
Judge Leon Johnson ordered the arrest of Cavarsiae Alexzae Malik Wright last week based on a petition by deputy prosecutor Cameron Coker stating that Wright's June 22 arrest on two counts each of theft by receiving and credit card fraud violated the conditions of his bond release on three counts of first-degree battery stemming from the March 2021 shooting at the Embassy Suites hotel on Financial Centre Parkway.
The June arrest came after Little Rock police Detective Sylwia Carrig reported that she discovered security video of Wright trying to use two stolen credit cards at a Telcoe Federal Credit Union ATM at 1123 S. University Ave. last September, four days after the cards were stolen from a residence at Napa Valley apartments, 501 Napa Valley Drive, according to the arrest affidavit. Wright spent two nights in jail before posting a $5,000 bond.
In the 2021 incident, James Anthony Patton III, 21; Arontae Smith, 25; and 24-year-old Kennady Nichole Hussey, all of Little Rock, were shot in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites where they had been attending a birthday party. Hussey, wounded in the chest, was critically injured, while the two men suffered lesser injuries, with Smith being struck in the mouth and Patton hit in the right arm, according to police reports.
After an investigation led by Det. Oscar Gomez, Wright was arrested about seven weeks later, with police reporting that he led them in a car chase through downtown Little Rock before officers could take him into custody. He spent about two weeks in jail before posting a $310,000 bond for his release. His trial has not been scheduledbecause his attorneys raising questions about whether Wright is competent to stand trial.
According to arrest affidavits and police reports, authorities believe the shooting stemmed from a month-long feud between Patton and Wright, who is Kennady Hussey's brother-in-law, that turned violent after Patton attended the 23rd birthday party for her sister, Makiya Shanell Hussey, Wright's wife.
Questioned at the hospital, Patton told police he had been at the party because his girlfriend is Makiya Hussey's older sister. He said they were walking through the parking lot bringing stuff into the hotel when the shots started, describing how he saw Kennady Hussey hit and fall to the ground.
He said he was hit in the arm as he tried to tend to her. Patton said he managed to make it into the lobby after he was wounded, where he waited for the ambulance. He said he didn't see the shooting and didn't have enemies he thought would try to hurt him.
During later questioning, Patton said he had seen Wright at the hotel and also overheard Wright threaten a shooting in a phone call with Makiya Hussey. Patton said he didn't take the threat seriously because he didn't think security would let Wright into the hotel with a gun.
Patton further described how he had armed himself that night just before the shooting, stating that he had gotten a gun out his car just after two other vehicles suddenly drove up and their occupants jumped out.
Patton said he ran from the vehicles' occupants but when he heard the gunshots, he fired back to protect himself and his friends. He said he dropped his weapon when he was hit, then ran into the lobby.
In a March letter to the court, Makiya Hussey wrote that she did not want to cooperate with prosecutors. But she told police shortly after the shooting that Wright and Patton had been at odds for the past month because Wright was angry that Patton had been at a Valentine's Day 2021 lingerie party she had hosted.
No men had attended the event, she said. Patton, who had come with her sister, his girlfriend, was only there to cook the food she was serving. She said he stayed in her room after the food was prepared, where Wright found him on her bed, which led to an angry confrontation where weapons were drawn, and possibly shots fired. The incident was not reported to police.
The night of the shooting, Makiya Hussey told police she heard her husband complaining loudly about someone at the party but didn't immediately realize he had been talking about Patton. She said he left the hotel room, taking her car, after warning her there would be a fight when she got home.
She said she didn't think Wright would do anything at the hotel because she had seen a patrol car there and believed the police presence would be a deterrent. She told investigators she warned Wright that police were at the hotel and he would go to jail if he showed up and caused problems.
Makiya Hussey said the Patton group left to avoid more problems. She didn't see the shooting, stating that a friend called and told her Wright had shot Patton. Wright told her over the phone later he did not know anything about the shooting.
During later questioning, Makiya Hussey said her husband later told her he had returned to the hotel that night expecting to fist-fight Patton if he was still there. Wright also told her Patton was the first to shoot, and that Wright said he then got a gun and shot back in self-defense, she told police.
Kennady Hussey told police she doesn't remember getting shot. She said she saw Wright confronting Makiya Hussey about Patton being at the hotel, with Wright saying he was going to leave and come back with his brother.
She said she left with Patton's group of Smith, Mikayla Hussey and 26-year-old Javonte Butler.
Smith, who was shot in the jaw, told police he was wounded when he tried to shield Kennady Hussey after she was hit.
Smith said he had seen Wright at the hotel that night, then heard him on the phone telling Makiya Hussey that Wright was going to get his brother and his guns. Smith said the Patton group decided to leave. They were in the parking lot when Wright's car, followed by a black sport-utility vehicle, pulled in, he said.
Wright and another man got out of the car, Smith said, describing how someone in the Patton group said, "Well, what are you going to do?"
"Well, my gun is already cocked back," Wright responded, according to Smith.
He said Wright started shooting first but that others drew weapons and also fired shots, telling police he saw four guns, including Patton's, returning fire.
The Patton group all ran from the gunfire, Smith said, telling police how he went back to Kennady Hussey once he realized she'd been shot.
Police found 27 shell casings at the scene, 25 from a 9mm pistol and the others from a .40 caliber handgun. Investigators also found a loaded 9mm pistol with a flashlight attachment in the parking lot. Records don't show who investigators believe the weapons belonged to.