Shooting in Parsons Results in Arrest
In an otherwise quiet Parsons (KS) neighborhood multiple gun shots rang out at about 3:30 pm on Thursday, September 17, 2020. The area of 27th near Grand Avenue in Parsons erupted with gun fire. Parsons Police responded and found a vehicle with multiple gunshots to it occupied by an uninjured driver. The Victim, a 22-year-old Black Male, Parsons resident was located and questioned by police.
Police canvassed the area to make sure there were no injured individuals in any nearby homes.
The on-going investigation revealed that the victim was driving away from the area of 27th and Grand and as he pulled onto the roadway, the lone gunman began rapidly firing at the Victim and his vehicle. No one else was in the victim's vehicle. While multiple bullets impacted the Victim's car, miraculously the Victim was not struck.
Sources informed Officers about the potential identity of the Suspect. At the same time, police were conducting a search of the neighborhood near the shooting. Police located the Suspect, a 16-year-old Black Male at his residence a few blocks from the shooting scene. He was taken into custody without incident. The name of the Suspect is not being released because he is a juvenile. Police have had multiple contacts with the Suspect on a variety of criminal issues over the past couple of years. Three weeks ago, this same Suspect had shot himself in the hand with a handgun at his residence.
The Suspect is currently in-custody at the Girard Juvenile Detention Center on one count of 1st Degree Attempted Murder, Felony Possession of a Firearm, Shooting a Firearm at an Occupied Vehicle, and Shooting a Firearm at an Unoccupied Dwelling.
"It would not be surprising if the on-going investigation links this suspect to other criminal acts," said Parsons Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd. "This is a sad example, of a youth who has been headed down a criminal path. Previous efforts of the criminal justice system have not helped to modify his behaviors and now we find ourselves in a nearly deadly situation."
Police processed the shooting screen and will be submitting forensic evidence to the State Crime Lab.
"Forensic evidence examination will take some time," said Commander Kyle Wiford who is overseeing the shooting investigation. "The results could be fruitful in linking this crime to others."
"This was not a random act of violence," says Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks. "It does appear that the shooter was targeting a specific individual and may have been lying in wait for his target. This is not unlike other shootings that we have investigated in Parsons, where nefarious actors have targeted their associates over various dealings in town," says Spinks.
This continues to be an on-going investigation and citizens are encouraged to "See It, Hear It, Report It." If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at tips@parsonspd.com.
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