There were at least three dead and five injured from Kansas City shootings in Missouri over the weekend as law enforcement personnel are investigating the facts of the attacks.
The Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) deployed officers to respond to calls about a shooting on 57th Street and Prospect Avenue at around 4:30 a.m. local time Sunday. There, law enforcement personnel discovered the bodies of three people in a parking lot and the street near the intersection.
Kansas City Shootings
In a statement, the KCPD said that of the three victims, two were adult males while the other was an adult female, adding that they were declared deceased when found. Furthermore, officers received information that five victims were transported to various hospitals by private vehicles or ambulances as they suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as per USA Today.
Police added that preliminary information indicates that before the incident, a large gathering of people was in the parking lot at the intersection. They also noted that detectives were confident that there were many witnesses to the case that could provide valuable information.
Mayor Quinton Lucas also posted on Facebook, sharing his condolences to the victims' families. He added that if the business where the people gathered knew that so many would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting laws, it should be closed.
The KCPD also responded to another shooting at around 3:00 a.m. local time near 31st Street. The number of victims injured in that particular incident was not immediately known, but some were found to be in critical condition.
Police have put up a $25,000 reward for information submitted anonymously that could help the investigation into the shootings. A statement by the KCPD said that if anyone was in or around the area at the time of the incident, they should contact Homicide detectives, according to CNN.
Increase in Homicide Cases
Furthermore, law enforcement personnel said they were working with Partners for Peace to monitor risks of retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. The shooting comes with a 28% increase in homicides in Kansas City this year.
Before the weekend shootings, the KCPD said it had investigated 91 homicides this year, an increase from 20 during the same time last year. One resident living near the crime scene, Cherron Barney, said the shooting sounded like war.
At the time of the incident, Barney was asleep but immediately woke up after hearing the gunshots. After a while, she said there was a pause in the shootings before the sounds started again. She argues that lawmakers must change gun laws in the area to protect residents.
One of the cousins of one of the victims said that they had been at Bridger's in Westport until about 3:00 a.m. They then went to the parking lot on the East side, and everything seemed to be okay. Then, someone started shooting, and people in the area began running and pulling out their own weapons, said the Kansas City Star.
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