World Cup traffic, Butler skydiving crash, Kansas City highway shootings: Top stories

From traffic chaos at the World Cup match to a Johnson County dentist’s body recovered from Table Rock Lake, here’s a roundup of what’s making news in the Kansas City region. These are the top stories from The Kansas City Star.

Here are key takeaways:

• FIFA released a statement addressing the traffic congestion that plagued fans heading to Kansas City Stadium for Tuesday’s Algeria-Argentina World Cup match, where many drivers abandoned their vehicles on Stadium Drive and Blue Ridge Cutoff to walk to the venue. KC2026 blamed FIFA for operational constraints at stadium entry, and organizers say they will work to improve operations before Saturday’s Ecuador vs. Curaçao match.
• Families of two victims killed in Sunday’s Butler, Missouri, plane crash have retained Kansas City law firm Robb and Robb to investigate the crash that killed 11 skydivers and one pilot. The same firm previously secured settlements of $27.5 million and $52.5 million in two other deadly Missouri skydiving crashes.
• Shawanna Simms was exiting Interstate 70 at Paseo Boulevard on Tuesday evening when she heard a sharp sound and later discovered a bullet had struck her leg in one of a series of Kansas City highway shootings. The shootings left one man dead and four injured, and the FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of suspect Oscar Sanchez-Munoz, who remained at large Thursday evening.
• The body of 73-year-old Overland Park dentist Steven Lieurance was recovered from his submerged Mercedes-Benz at Table Rock Lake on June 14, nearly two weeks after he disappeared from his Olathe dental practice on June 2. A recreational diver spotted the vehicle about 100 feet off the shore of Joe Bald Park near Kimberling City, and an autopsy was scheduled to determine the circumstances of his death.
• Small business owners along Southwest Boulevard say the 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered empty streets instead of promised crowds, with Bisou coffee shop owner Caitlin Benedict reporting sales down 50% after she hired extra staff and increased inventory. Merchants at La Bodega and Tacos El Gallo say they made similar investments based on city promoters’ projections of 650,000 visitors, but the FIFA Fan Festival at the National World War I Museum has not driven foot traffic to nearby businesses.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.