Missouri man charged with second-degree murder in 2024 KC shooting: court documents
A Knob Noster, Missouri, man was charged with murder last week in relation to a fatal shooting in Kansas City that took place in 2024.
Sye’e Thomas, 27, faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action for his alleged role in the shooting death of 38-year-old Pablo Rodriguez.
The shooting took place on April 12, 2024, near East High School. Officers with the Kansas City Police Department responded to the 1800 block of Hardesty Avenue around 10:30 p.m., according to a news release from KCPD.
Rodriguez was found unresponsive inside a car. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died two days later.
The shooting stemmed from an interaction between two groups of people in cars, according to police and court documents. Video footage captured at the scene of the shooting shows a person leaving a white Dodge Caravan and approaching a home on Hardesty Avenue, followed by a man identified as Thomas exiting a blue sedan and following him.
The footage shows Thomas forcing the man down the steps toward the sidewalk at gunpoint, as Rodriguez, in the front passenger seat of the Caravan, opened his car door.
Thomas is shown firing at the Caravan, striking Rodriguez, according to court documents. The man who Thomas was threatening then ran back to the Caravan and retrieved a gun, shooting at Thomas as he fled in the blue sedan.
The man who Thomas allegedly held at gunpoint told detectives that Thomas had yelled, “Give me the money!” before attempting to use him as a human shield, court documents read.
Thomas is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center, where he is not currently eligible for bond. He will next appear in court on February 26 at 1:00 p.m. for a preliminary hearing.
Rodriguez’s death was the 43rd homicide reported in Kansas City in 2024, according to data collected by The Star.
