Man sentenced for shooting, critically injuring zTrip driver in northeast KC

A Kansas City man will serve 18 years in prison for his role in the 2024 shooting of a rideshare driver in Kansas City’s Lykins neighborhood that left the driver in critical condition.

The shooting occurred as the victim was working for rideshare service zTrip.

In a plea agreement filed in Jackson County court Thursday, Jakori Conaway, 20, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced in a news release Thursday that Conaway had been sentenced to 18 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for his role in the shooting.

On Sept. 15, 2024, Kansas City police responded to the 3900 block of East Ninth Street on reports of a shooting, Sgt. Phillip DiMartino, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department, said at the time.

There, they found a zTrip driver “bleeding extensively” from a gunshot wound to his face, according to a probable cause statement in support of Conaway’s arrest. The driver was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Dash camera footage from the vehicle showed the rideshare driver picked up Conaway near Avenida Cesar E Chavez and West Bluff Drive, the statement said.

Conaway entered the vehicle through the rear passenger side and handed the victim cash, according to the court document. As the victim began to drive, the dash camera footage showed Conaway putting on a black sweatshirt and face mask.

When the vehicle reached its destination, near East Ninth Street and Myrtle Avenue, Conaway pointed a pistol at the victim and fired one shot toward the back of his head, the statement said.

Court records state Conaway reached into the front of the car and put it in park. He attempted to grab the vehicle’s dash camera before fleeing.

Investigators were able to identify Conaway through the rideshare’s booking information and videos posted to social media, which showedthe gun used in the shooting, according to the probable cause statement.

In the probable cause statement, investigators requested a warrant be issued for Conaway’s arrest. They said it appeared he shot the driver “for no apparent reason.”

Conaway is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center, according to the jail’s inmate listing.