Man sentenced in shootout that sent crowd scrambling at NKC high school basketball game
A Clay County judge has sentenced a third person in the March 2024 shooting that injured two people and sent spectators scrambling for safety at the end of a North Kansas City High School basketball game.
On Wednesday, Clay County Judge Timothy J. Flook sentenced 22-year-old Nathaniel M. Greer of Kansas City to 12 years in prison for his role in the shootout at the end of a boys’ playoff basketball game between North Kansas City and Staley high schools.
Flook sentenced Greer to seven years in prison on one count of second-degree assault, three years on one count of third-degree assault, and two years on unlawful use of a weapon, all felonies. Flook ordered the sentences to run consecutively for a total prison term of 12 years.
As part of a plea agreement, Greer pleaded guilty to the charges in February.
“What should have been a day of team pride and celebration ended in gunfire, chaos, and trauma for students, families, and innocent bystanders,” said Clay County Prosecutor Zach Thompson in a post on Facebook.
Thompson said Greer chose to bring a weapon to a youth sporting event and chose to engage in a shootout that put countless lives at risk.
“Our hearts continue to go out to the victim and families who endured this ordeal, and we hope delivering justice brings them a measure of peace,” Thompson said. “While no sentence can erase the fear and damage caused that day, today’s outcome holds the Defendant accountable and reinforces that deliberate acts of violence carry serious consequences.”
Others sentenced in North Kansas City shootout
Greer was the third defendant to be sentenced for the shooting. Two Kansas City brothers, Lavon’Dre M. Smallwood, 20, and Michael Smallwood, 21, previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles.
Lavon’Dre Smallwood pleaded guilty in October to two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, all felonies. He was sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison.
Michael Smallwood was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in June 2025 to two counts of second-degree assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, all felonies. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of fourth-degree assault.
A fourth man, 20-year-old Je’Kwon D. Serell of Kansas City, pleaded guilty in March to one count of unlawful use of a weapon, admitting that he possessed a firearm on school property. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.
As part of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense are recommending Serell be granted a suspended imposition of sentence and placed on five years of probation, with the special condition that he not enter any North Kansas City School properties or schools, according to court documents.
