KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Authorities on Friday continued to investigate what prompted a metro-wide crime spree that ended in a deadly deputy-involved shooting in Clay County.
Sgt. Bill Lowe with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which is investigating the shooting, said that a gun was found "within close proximity" of 26-year-old Jeffery D. Millsap, who was killed Thursday after law enforcement shot him following a chase.
The highway patrol tweeted that the gun found near Millsap was the same gun stolen from Academy Sports and Outdoors at Liberty Commons about an hour before he was killed.
Liberty police said Thursday that Millsap attempted to purchase a handgun at the store, and when employees refused the purchase, he jumped across the counter and took the handgun.
About a half-hour after the theft in Liberty, police in Independence said Millsap shot a man inside a used car dealership at East Rankin Road and South Noland Road. On Thursday, the victim was reported to be in serious condition.
Authorities say that Millsap then drove to Holt, where he led officers on a chase before being shot and killed by law enforcement in the 19800 block of 172nd Street.
According to Clay County Sheriff's Office spokesman Deputy Jon Bazzano, a sheriff's deputy and a Kearney police officer spotted Millsap in Kearney after authorities were alerted about the theft in Liberty and shooting in Independence.
The two officers followed Millsap to his home in Holt. According to Bazzano, only the Clay County sheriff's deputy fired at Millsap, killing him. The deputy, whose name has not been released, is a U.S. military veteran, Bazzano said.
The deputy has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
It's unclear whether Millsap fired at the officers after the pursuit ended at his home.
Investigators are continuing to review evidence and working to determine a possible motive that led to the crime spree, Lowe said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
