Questions remain after shooting outside North Kansas City High
NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The North Kansas City Police Department continues to investigate a shooting that happened Saturday night outside North Kansas City High School.
FOX4 has asked the police department if any possible suspects have been identified, for details about what happened before shots rang out, and for more information about the adult victim, who is still in the hospital.
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We’re told this is an active and ongoing investigation. Police said they will release more information when they have an update they can share.
“There’s going to be a lot of trauma, not only for the students but for the community,” said Democratic state Rep. Eric Woods. “Just 48 hours later, kids were back in school at a place where one of their fellow students had just been shot.”
When shots were fired outside the high school near the end of a basketball game Saturday night, Clay County school resource deputies were on site. They immediately responded, along with North Kansas City police.
“I’m very proud to see that their response is without their thoughts in mind,” said Lt. Scott Archer with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
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“They go to make sure the scene is safe, the students are safe, any visitors or anybody there is safe. And no other law enforcement (agency) is going to do anything different. They’ll put their lives on the line for those they serve.”
To boost security, additional law enforcement officers are on campus this week.
“After an issue like this, of course, we’ll put a couple of different people and a couple more people in place that gives that comfort and that ability so that when people show up, they feel a little bit more secure and that we’re taking things seriously,” Archer said. “We’re not keeping it as status quo, and it does alleviate the stress off everybody involved.”
Woods, who represents North Kansas City, spoke on the House floor Monday about the shooting and changes he’d like to see implemented in Missouri to reduce gun violence.
“We have so much data that suggests that our gun laws are responsible for a lot of this violence,” Woods said.
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“We’re not allowed to have those conversations in this body. And so the point what I was trying to make before the Speaker cut me off was that I want us to be able to have those real conversations, and we owe it to the people of the state to do that.”
Archer said during incidents like Saturday’s shooting — when school isn’t in session and visitors are on-campus — students and staff are the most prepared because of past drills and other training.
“So in an instance where it’s a game, and you have other people, it’s almost easier with the students than it is with visitors and adults because the visitors and adults go into fight-and-flight. They either run and hide, or they duck and run,” Archer said.
“Whereas the kids — and you can see this nationally — you see they all typically run to a building to where they can secure themselves because they’ve had that training.”
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North Kansas City police believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there isn’t a threat to the public.
“It’s awful and traumatic for everyone involved,” Woods said. “It is really heavy on my heart those of other local leaders that I’ve spoken to and people who work for the school district. I just really hope that we can do something in this state, something common sense, to tackle the issue of gun violence.”
