‘Tragic’: Kansas City firefighter killed in shooting at Independence convenience store

Bill Lukitsch
·2 min read

The person killed in a daylight shooting at an Independence gas station on Thursday was a 41-year-old Kansas City firefighter who was off duty at the time, authorities said.

Jason Spreitzer, a KCFD spokesman, told The Star late Thursday that the department planned to release additional details about the firefighter and his service to the city on Friday morning. Spreitzer added that members of KCFD, including Chief Donna Lake, were still in shock after learning that one of their own had been fatally shot.

“Right now I think everyone’s just kind of dumbfounded and internalizing this tragic event,” Spreitzer said.

Police officers were called to the homicide scene around 2:30 p.m. at the Road Star, 11100 E. U.S. 40 Highway, in response to a reported shooting, Independence police said in a statement. Police say the gunshot victim was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead there.

The killing unfolded after a disturbance that started inside the gas station convenience store between the firefighter, a 41-year-old man, and a male suspect, said Officer Jack Taylor, of Independence police. The men went outside and the firefighter was shot there, Taylor said.

Two people described as persons of interest were taken from the scene and placed in police custody. Further information about the killing was not immediately available from police.

By late Thursday afternoon, there remained no visible evidence of a shooting having occurred at the convenience and liquor store as police had cleared the scene.

The store, which has a small restaurant inside, had reopened for business. Two people working there who spoke to The Star reported knowing little about the fatal event, saying that there was some type of physical fight that led to a shooting near the business’ front door, and that police had acquired surveillance camera footage as evidence.

The Star’s Glenn E. Rice contributed to this report.

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