KC food truck owner Dyamund Shields Jr. identified as victim in Monday morning shooting
Dyamund Shields Jr., a popular food truck operator, was the victim of a fatal shooting early Monday at a gathering near 70th Street and Prospect Avenue, Kansas City police said.
Shields, 31, was serving food from his truck, Chicken Macaroni & Cheese, at the gathering when he was shot, a family member told The Star Monday.
Five other people were injured in the shooting.
Shields and his father, Dyamund Shields Sr., opened the business on Prospect Avenue in 2011, according to Shelle West, a close friend of Shields.
West, who said she had known Shields since childhood, described him as generous and lively, with a passion for giving back to the community through cooking.
“He was so selfless and put family first,” West told The Star. “He was very humble in everything that he did.”
Chicken Macaroni & Cheese operated as a brick-and-mortar restaurant until Dyamund Shields Sr. died in 2017. Shields Jr. transitioned the business into a food truck as a way to keep his father’s legacy alive, West said. Along with the titular chicken and macaroni, Shields served sandwiches, seafood dinners and various pasta dishes.
Chicken Macaroni & Cheese was a fixture at fundraisers, events and parties around Kansas City and near Prospect Avenue. The day before he was shot, Shields brought the truck to Swope Park for the evening.
According to a preliminary investigation, the gathering turned violent when gunfire erupted during a dispute among several people, said Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a KCPD spokesperson. While the alleged shooters fled the area, one of the injured parties alerted nearby police officers, who called ambulances for those who had been hit by gunfire.
When police arrived at the scene, officers found Shields unresponsive on the ground. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead Monday morning.
Though running a business, West said Shields wouldn’t hesitate to help those who couldn’t afford his food. He’d give free meals to those experiencing homelessness, ask for a donation instead of payment or give a complimentary drink with a meal.
“Just a few weeks ago we had a conversation and he was very big on, if I can feed my community, I will. If I can show up and provide lunches for people, I will,” West said.
Shields is survived by two daughters, family members shared online.
“Our kids will miss you and I will make sure they remember you forever,” Taylor Peterson wrote on Facebook Monday. “God, thank you for the time spent and the love we were able to experience.”
The five other adults injured in the shooting are in the hospital in stable condition.
The shooting was one of three homicides reported in the city between Sunday night and Monday morning, each ending in one death.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Robert Cronkleton was used in this article.
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 7:02 PM.
