KANSAS CITY, Mo — The co-owners of Klymax Lounge, a Kansas City nightclub, spoke out for the first time since Sunday morning’s mass shooting that left three people dead and two others injured.
“To not let your emotions get the best of you, you had to be numb,” said Mario Williams co-owner, Klymax Lounge. “I was numb because I watched everybody take their last breath, and there was nothing that we could do about it.”
One of the three victims that passed was their long-time security guard, Jason McConnell.
According to his employers, he had done security work for many celebrities around the country and was expecting another child.
“Jason is a well-loved father and friend. Protector,” said Rodney Newman, co-owner of Klymax Lounge. “He was definitely committed to us as a family. We was committed to him. And Jason was well-loved. I’m going to miss Jason. Jason just did the best that he could.”
According to Williams, McConnell was the head security guard on duty that night working a birthday party. He first alerted Williams of suspicious cars around closing time.
“Our protocol is, if you see anything suspicious for our club goers’ safety, we call KCPD,” Williams said. “There was a round of shots — that’s when everybody kind of ran frantically. Then second round of shots. And then that’s when more bodies started dropping.”
By the time police arrived, victims were already hurt. Williams and Newman say going forward, they want to work with police for more security.
“I don’t wanna shift accountability, but what I would like to proposed moving forward is, if we can have an off-duty police officer sit outside of our establishment," Williams said. "That’s the only way I can move forward."
The owners say Klymax Lounge was opened three years ago to provide this neighborhood a place to relax, socialize and showcase local talent.
“We try to reach out to people and help the best way we know how. Give them free food, if you just need a shelter to come in while waiting for the bus, come on in," Newman said. "Stay warm a little bit. If you just want to come and watch some tv, we just not charging people over the head to come in here."
After years of giving back and building relationship with the community, they are heartbroken things happened this way.
“Regardless of people’s backgrounds and situations, they didn’t come here to die. Nobody came here to die, nobody came here expecting to die,” Williams said. “Our main worries is figuring out how to grieve and how to pick ourselves up after everything we’ve witnessed.”
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