KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Grain Valley man faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in a Christmas Day shooting, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Franklin S. Eason allegedly shot and killed his father, 44-year-old Christopher Eason, following a confrontation just after 7 p.m. Monday in the 700 block of SW Woodland Circle.
Franklin, Christopher and two witnesses were sitting at a table when Witness 2 brought up his plans to move out of the residence, per court documents.
Witness 2 claimed he spoke with Christopher a couple of days prior about the move.
Christopher then shouted at Franklin and Witness 2 before leaving the room, returning with a firearm and waving it around, according to Witness 2’s statement to detectives.
When Christopher placed the gun on the table, Franklin then allegedly grabbed the firearm and shot his father twice.
At that point, Witness 2 and Witness 1 — who had been dating Christopher for two years and lived in the residence — left the room to check on Witness 1’s children.
Witness 1 told police she heard a third gunshot after she left the table.
Franklin allegedly told both witnesses after the shooting that he shot his father because his father would have shot one of them, per court documents.
While in custody, Franklin told detectives he shot his father a third time to “stop his suffering.”
After the shooting, Franklin called two additional witnesses and explained what he had done. Once they arrived at the scene, he called police, per court documents.
When police arrived, he admitted he shot his father and was taken into custody.
Franklin told detectives he never felt in danger of being shot, he was just protecting his friend, Witness 2.
Due to his alleged actions, a detective described Franklin as a “danger to the community and to any other person because he had no regard for taking his father’s life.”
Franklin is being held on $100,000 bond.
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