Kansas City man accidentally shoots fiancee on Valentine’s Day, prosecutors say
A 21-year-old faces domestic assault charges for allegedly firing several gunshots into his parked SUV and accidentally shooting his fiancee who was inside the vehicle.
Tyrell L. Staten of Kansas City was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action in the incident that happened Tuesday night in the 10000 block of East Wilson Avenue in Independence.
According to court records, officers were summoned to the shooting just before 10:30 p.m. A witness told investigators he saw the driver get out of the car, shout an expletive and fire five shots into the engine compartment of a Toyota Rav 4.
The witness said he then heard someone in the vehicle scream.
The victim later told police that their car broke down on Wilson Avenue. The woman said she is engaged to the driver, who was identified as Staten, according to court records.
The woman said Staten became upset when the SUV broke down and fired several shots into the engine compartment. She said that the gun fired “accidentally,” and Staten did not mean to shoot her.
While being interviewed by police, Staten said he argued with the woman while they were riding in the SUV. Staten became upset when the vehicle broke down in the middle of the street. He pulled the handgun from underneath the driver’s seat and stepped out of the SUV, court records stated.
Staten said as he walked away from the car, the handgun hit the side of his pants. He said heard a clicking sound and then realized that he had pointed the weapon at his fiancee, prosecutors said.
The gunshots were supposed to hit the ground in front of the car but as each round fired, the gun reportedly kept moving toward the victim.
When an investigator asked Staten if he only meant to scare the victim he replied, “I guess, I don’t know,” according to court records.
Glenn E. Rice: 816-234-4341, @GRicekcstar
This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 10:54 PM with the headline "Kansas City man accidentally shoots fiancee on Valentine’s Day, prosecutors say."