Charges filed in North Kansas City High School shooting that injured 2, including student
Prosecutors have announced they have charged two teenage brothers in the shooting outside North Kansas City High School that injured a student and an adult earlier this month.
Five people fired gunshots during an exchange between two groups of young men March 2, prosecutors said.
Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced during a news conference Friday afternoon that his office has charged Lavondre Smallwood, 18, and Michael Smallwood, 19, in connection with the shooting that occurred outside on the school campus at the end of the boy’s basketball game between North Kansas City and Staley high schools. A debate event was also taking place on campus at the time.
Lavondre Smallwood faces five charges: first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. Michael Smallwood faces three charges: two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of armed criminal action. Both are charged as adults, Thompson said.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing and more charges may be filed, he said, encouraging anyone with information related to the incident to contact North Kansas City police.
“No one should have to fear being shot when they go to a high school basketball game in Clay County,” he said. “These events are meant to bring our community together. So my message to those who would come to our community, who would victimize our citizens, endanger our citizens’ lives is that you will be held to account, and justice will find you inside a Clay County courtroom.”
Investigators determined the gunfire stemmed from a dispute between two groups of young men, Thompson said, noting the nature of the conflict between them was unclear. Five people fired shots following an verbal exchange between the two groups, and Thompson said surveillance video indicated all five had been in possession of loaded firearms inside the North Kansas City High School gym.
The two groups had been at the basketball game and left around 6 p.m. A witness described hearing a person from one of the groups yelling at the other group to leave while keeping one hand concealed, Thompson said. A member of the other group then drew a gun and began shooting, and then three members of the other group drew guns and returned fire.
Investigators recovered more than 50 shell casings — from 9 mm, 10 mm, .40-caliber and .45-caliber firearms — from the scene.
“Dozens of people who had no relationship to these groups of young men were in the area when the shooting occurred,” Thompson said.
Two people were injured: One, a bystander, was a student who was not associated with the two groups, and the second was a member of one of the groups and could be seen firing a gun once during the exchange, Thompson said.
At the time of the shooting, law enforcement said they found a crime scene at the entrance to the football field, which sits along Howell Street.
The youth who was injured was released from a hospital in the days following the shooting, and was said to be recovering from their injuries at home. The other person injured was still receiving care at a hospital the following week.
Students returned to classes the following Monday, with officials saying additional security and counseling services would be made available.
North Kansas City Police Chief Kevin Freeman said the department has taken extra precautions with the Snake Saturday Parade and Festival drawing crowds to North Kansas City this weekend.
“We invite everybody to come out,” he said. “We have taken some extra precautions for safety and security. I won’t divulge what those are, but we are taking it seriously. We take it seriously every year, but we have stepped up our efforts a little bit more this year. We want to try and make sure that that event is as safe as possible and that everyone can come out and enjoy what they’re there to enjoy, much like the basketball game on March 2nd.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 3:54 PM.
