Series of shootings on KC-area highways not linked, police say

On a Saturday night about a month ago, a woman was out celebrating her birthday with her mother when two cars sped past them as they traveled on Interstate 435.

They heard a popping noise, pulled over and the woman discovered a bullet had struck her leg.

Since then, several more incidents have occurred on Kansas City highways in which people in cars have been hit by gunfire. Police say at least 10 shootings have occurred since Aug. 17 on Bruce Watkins Drive, U.S. 71 and Interstate 435, mostly on the city’s east and south sides.

It’s enough to stoke fears of another “highway shooter.” In 2014, Mohammed Whitaker was sentenced to 30 years for a shooting into cars along the Three Trails Crossing Area of south Kansas City. The stories drew national attention.

But police stress that there is no highway shooter this time, that the highways are safe and most people hit were unintended victims of random gunshots or caught in crossfire.

“There are a lot of recklessly minded people out there with guns,” said Kansas City police spokeswoman Sgt. Kari Thompson. “It’s ridiculous.”

The latest incidents are being investigated as isolated cases. Road rage likely played a role in some.

Some people have been injured; one was found dead. Vehicles have been damaged.

A man was driving southbound earlier this month on I-435 when bullets shattered his truck’s rear window. The man wasn’t hurt. He drove to a Quiktrip and called police.

Just after 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, a bullet whizzed through the passenger side of car and struck a man in the back of his head, resulting in non-life threatening injuries.

On Sept. 5, officers responding to an injury accident near southbound U.S. 71 and Meyer Boulevard found a man shot to death inside a wrecked vehicle.

Most victims were in the wrong place, wrong time, Thompson said.

“People are getting caught in the crossfire,” Thompson said. “We don’t see any evidence to connect any of these shootings. We are looking at trends. If we see a connection, we will communicate that to the public.”

In Whitaker’s case, police linked the shootings to a .380-caliber weapon.

Anyone who witnesses any shooting should call 911 immediately, Thompson said.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Series of shootings on KC-area highways not linked, police say."