Kansas City, Kansas man charged in November slaying at Merriam construction site
A Kansas City, Kansas man has been charged with murder in relation to a fatal shooting at a construction site in Merriam last year.
Larry Gunzenhauser, 32, faces a second-degree murder charge for his alleged role in the death of 37-year-old Jentre DeMarkus Parker-White.
Parker-White was found wounded at the site of a two-car crash at Johnson Drive and Slater Street on Nov. 22, 2024, according to Merriam police chief Darren McLaughlin. Discovered in one of the cars with gunshot wounds, he was brought to a local hospital, where he died.
Around 8:15 a.m., Merriam police had responded simultaneously to the crash and to reports of shots fired at a construction site on Shawnee Mission Parkway near Eby Avenue. Gunzenhauser had allegedly shot Parker-White at the site before Parker-White was involved in the crash.
Parker-White grew up in Wyandotte County and had worked as a forklift operator for the Coca-Cola Co. for several years, according to an obituary shared online. Loved ones remembered him as a deeply involved family man who loved to fish, host barbecues and spend time with the children in his life.
“Jentre was a very funny, protective, supportive, loving, hard-working, family-oriented man,” Parker-White’s obituary reads. “He loved to be with family and invest time in the babies.”
Gunzenhauser was arrested Thursday and is being held on a $500,000 bond in Johnson County. McLaughlin previously told The Star that everyone suspected of involvement in Parker-White’s death had been detained on the same day as the shooting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
