‘You made them watch’: Richmond woman grieving after husband shot, killed in front of their kids
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A simple family argument turned deadly in Richmond in early August, leaving one woman grieving the loss of her husband and her children traumatized by what they witnessed.
At about 2:25 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, officers with the Richmond Police Department were called to apartments on St. Paul Street for report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found 37-year-old Mario Swann unresponsive with a gunshot wound.
Antoinette Swann said it was her brother, 34-year-old Jerome Lucas, who fired the shot that killed her husband -- claiming he did so in front of their children.
Two months later, during an exclusive interview with 8News, she said the pain is still fresh.
“He was like a big kid,” Antoinette recalled, laughing through her tears. “He [was] 37, but it’s like he was still 15. Nobody will ever be able to take his place."
But after 14 years together, she said her last memory of him is one that will haunt her forever.
37-year-old Mario Swann and his children. (Photo: Antoinette Swann)
Antionette said the incident began with a simple argument over sodas in the fridge. According to her, during the altercation, her brother fired a shot that ricocheted off a screen door and struck her husband.
“I saw his feet first, and everything after that was just in slow motion," Antoinette said. His hand was on his head. When I lifted it, I saw the bullet in his forehead."
UVA to comply with DOJ guidelines, pending investigations to be paused
Antoinette said the nightmare unfolded just minutes after the couple woke up in their Gilpin Court home, where they lived with their children and Swann’s brother, his partner and their child.
"I’m just like, 'No, keep breathing -- hey, take a breath'," Antoinette said. "And that’s when the blood started coming from his nose and behind his head."
Police confirmed that Mario later died at the hospital.
Lucas was arrested the same night. He has been charged with first-degree murder, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and the possession of a firearm by a violent felon.
‘Truly unprecedented’: Virginia lawmakers, advocates concerned SNAP funding may run out in November
Antionette said that her young children were deeply traumatized by what they saw that night.
"Not only did you kill my kids’ father, you made them watch," she said. "That’s the part I can’t get past. My kids have PTSD. They’re not sleeping."
She's doing her best to support them -- all while trying not to fall apart, herself.
"I be sleeping in my car because it’s hard for me to be in the house," Antionette said. "I feel like he’s still out there, laying there, and I want to help him."
According to Antionette, she and her children were told not to attend Mario's funeral.
Woman unintentionally shot while out walking in Chesterfield
“His family blames me because he’s [Lucas] my brother -- but me and the kids ended up going anyway, because he’s their dad," she said. "You can’t tell them they can’t have their final goodbyes. We don’t even know if he’s buried, if he’s cremated. The funeral home told us nothing."
Now, Antionette is struggling to make ends meet as she and her children cope with PTSD.
If you’d like to help Antoinette and her children during this difficult time, you can donate to their GoFundMe here.
Lucas will stand trial in late January 2026, according to online court records. As of the time of reporting, he remains in custody, as his bond was previously denied.
