KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, police report multiple people were shot in the area of 70th and Prospect overnight.
Police were in the area just before 2 a.m. Monday when they heard the sound of gunshots nearby.
Officers were contacted by an adult man who said he had been shot. He was taken to an area hospital.
Another shooting victim, identified as 31-year-old Dyamund Shields, was located a short distance away. Shields died at the hospital.
Those who knew Shields said he was a fixture in the community, often showing up at events with his food truck.
“This is like a real tragedy because we all know he was not the intended target," said Desmound Logan. "Why they were shooting, I don’t know."
At least four others were shot and transported privately to area hospitals.
KCPD spokesperson Ofc. Alayna Gonzalez said having police nearby could've helped save lives — five gunshot victims are in stable condition.
"This is a horrible situation where there's really no best case scenario, but to have officers that were already on scene to be able to get victims to the hospital as quickly as possible, there's probably a lot of lives that were saved for that reason," Gonzalez said.
KCPD's preliminary information shows there was a large gathering of people outside on Prospect Avenue between 70th and Gregory that broke into a disturbance.
The situation escalated, and gunfire erupted between several individuals.
Gonzales said police want people to be able to gather safely in Kansas City.
"We have this constant thing that we talk about in Kansas City with the culture of violence, and we want people to be able to gather and participate in social events safely," she said. "I would say that any incident where you're in an uncontrolled environment at odd hours of the day when businesses are closed, you're not really putting yourself in a situation where you are setting yourself up for success, for there to not be some kind of altercation. And that's the unfortunate reality that we live in at this point in time."
Logan said people frequently gather in the area of Gregory and Prospect on Sunday nights during the summer. He said Monday morning's deadly shooting is evidence the city should prioritize more safe places for community members to gather.
“And for you just to be out here trying to make a living in your community, in your neighborhood, and end up getting shot," Logan said. "The community needs to stand up behind this one.”
Logan said he walked around the scene Monday afternoon, asking anyone for information on the shooting they may not feel comfortable sharing with police.
KCPD said nobody is in custody at this time.
The area between East 70th and Gregory Boulevard on Prospect Avenue was closed to traffic until the scene was cleared.
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Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
