Argument about college grades led to Henderson fatal shooting

A 22-year-old Henderson man arrested in connection with the Monday shooting death of his father told police he pulled the trigger as his dad was lunging at him.

Henderson detectives say evidence at the scene paints a different picture.

Shortly after Maria Clanton called police at 11:37 a.m. Monday to report her husband was lying face down in an upstairs hallway with several gunshot wounds, dispatch received another call from the Clanton home at 978 Painted Pony Drive, near Patrick Lane and Whitney Ranch Drive.

It was Maria Clanton's son, Daron Lewis Clanton, calling to say his father had attacked him, grabbing and shaking him. Daron Clanton had grabbed a gun and shot his dad multiple times, emptying the gun's magazine, he told police over the phone Monday morning.

Daron and Maria Clanton refused to perform CPR on the dying man, police said.

The shooting resulted from an argument about his grades, the son told police in an interview later that day.

Kevin Clanton, 54, was upset because he thought his son was enrolled at UNLV and wanted to see his grades, the arrest report said. Daron Clanton told police he couldn't show his dad his grades because he hadn't been enrolled in college for more than a year.

The father-son argument was broken up briefly when Maria Clanton returned home from visiting her mother.

When Maria Clanton walked upstairs, she saw her husband and son "having a physical altercation" in her son's office, told her husband to "knock it off" and watched Kevin Clanton walk to his own office next door. She went into the bathroom and ran out moments later when she heard her husband yelling again, followed by several gunshots.

The son said his father had pushed him against a bookshelf and punched him a few times before returning to his own office, slamming drawers and shouting.

Both men walked out of their offices, and Kevin Clanton rushed toward his son. The younger Clanton got scared, ran to the master bedroom, grabbed a gun that was on the dresser and ran back to the hallway, where his father was still charging toward him, he told police.

He shot his father in the head and body and continued to shoot until he realized there were no bullets left, the report said.

Henderson detectives said the position of Kevin Clanton's body in the short, narrow hallway offers a different story.

"It appears Kevin was shot just as he exited his office bedroom" and had not moved toward the bedroom or Daron's office, the report said.

Daron Clanton also made no attempt to warn his father he would shoot him and didn't try to run, police wrote.

"Daron said he was afraid of Kevin but made no justification for using deadly force in lieu of calling 911 or just leaving the area," his arrest report said. He could have ran downstairs to escape his dad but didn't, he told police.

Daron Clanton was arrested 3:06 p.m. Monday and booked into the Henderson Detention Center, where he faces an open murder charge. His bail was set at $1 million, and court officials said his next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 19.

On the phone Tuesday, the father's younger brother, Korey Clanton, 50, avoided talking about the shooting. Instead, he took a deep breath before calmly repeating it would be OK.

"She's my sister," he said of his brother's wife, Maria. "Everything will be fine."

Reporters Rachel Crosby and Kimberly De La Cruz contributed to this report. Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber