Six people were wounded inside Kansas City’s Crown Center in a shooting that drew a major police response and shut down the shopping mall on Wednesday evening.
Kansas City police and emergency medical personnel were dispatched around 5:45 p.m. to multiple 911 calls reporting the sound of gunfire and people shot inside the mall in the 2400 block of Grand Boulevard, said Sgt. Jake Becchina, a KCPD spokesman.
Two of the victims were discovered in the food court area on the lower level, where the shooting took place, Becchina said. Police later learned four more had arrived at a hospital by private vehicle.
All suffered injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. The gunshot victims ranged in age from their late teens, early 20s and one victim at least 50 years old.
Multiple people were also detained at the scene Wednesday night based on statements from witnesses that they may have been involved in the shooting, Becchina said. The number of people detained was not immediately available.
Investigators were told there was a verbal argument between two groups described as youths, possibly in their late teens or early 20s. It quickly led to gunfire inside the shopping mall as people were injured and surrounding businesses were damaged.
“We’re very thankful right now first and foremost that everybody’s injuries seem to be non-life-threatening,” Becchina said during a press briefing outside the Crown Center. “That’s obviously a big concern when there’s a large group of people and there’s several gunshots.”
Detectives were working to sort through the events Wednesday and determine who was responsible for the shooting. It was not known how many people were firing guns or how many shots were fired.
Also unknown was whether those shot were involved in the underlying dispute, innocent bystanders or a mix of both.
“It’s a big puzzle to put together. And there’s a lot of pieces to it,” Becchina said, adding that several members of KCPD’s Violent Crimes Unit were still working to get answers Wednesday night.
Crime scene personnel were collecting physical evidence as detectives were interviewing witnesses and looking for video of the shooting, Becchina said. He said they would be working on the case for “quite some time” to get to the bottom of all that took place Wednesday.
The Crown Center Shops is a frequent destination for Kansas Citians and visitors. Becchina noted Wednesday the area is one known for Super Bowl parades and the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting.
“It’s a very lively part of our city. It’s not one that should be marked by gunfire,” Becchina said. “I’ll stand here and say that every day. Kansas City should not be about gunfire, gun violence, homicide.”
___
© 2024 The Kansas City Star
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
