INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Mark Williams knew something bad was happening when he heard gun shots outside his home Thursday near the Lake City Ammunition Plant in rural Independence, Missouri.
“Them gunshots were a little bit different, definitely closer,” Williams said.
His backyard abuts the property of Larry Acree.
The 69-year-old Acree now faces six criminal charges. Prosecutors said civil process servers were evicting Acree from his home on North Elsea Smith Road.
Prosecutors charged Acree with the shooting death of Drexel Mack, a Jackson County 16th Circuit Court civil process server.
When Independence police officers responded to Mack's shooting, Acree fired again and allegedly killed Officer Cody Allen and injuring two other officers, according to court documents.
“That’s the last thing you’d expect,” Williams said.
He admitted he didn’t know Acree well, even after living next to Acree for more than 15 years. Williams thinks he had only ten conversations with him.
“He pretty much kept to himself,” Williams said.
Williams is shocked things escalated to a shooting.
“You hate to see he was losing his property and stuff like that, but to go to that extent, that’s just really a shame,” Williams said. “Two people’s lives are lost in the process, yeah, that’s bad.”
Williams said Acree had dogs and horses, but never saw a saddle on the horses.
He is learning more about Acree after his arrest than he did in their time as neighbors.
