Man pleads guilty to murdering co-worker on Overland Park school playground
A Kansas City man accused of fatally shooting one co-worker and injuring another as they installed turf outside an Overland Park elementary school last summer pleaded guilty Tuesday to a host of charges that included murder.
Anthony Grable, 33, shot his fellow landscapers on the playground at Sunrise Point Elementary School, killing 48-year-old Todd Davis, of Lee’s Summit, and critically injuring a 54-year-old worker. After fleeing the school, he stole several vehicles at gunpoint.
Employed by SYNLawn, also known as Turf Etc., the men were installing synthetic turf on the school’s playground near 158th Street and Roe Avenue when Grable argued with the others over power tools, according to court documents.
About 20 minutes later, Grable returned to the work area, pulled a black handgun from his backpack and fired several shots, witnesses told police.
Detectives also said they spoke to a person who told Grable to complete a specific task. Grable then “became defensive” and told the person “not to tell him what to do.”
One person at the scene, in fear, dropped to the ground and “belly crawled a short distance before getting to his feet” and running into nearby houses, according to an affidavit. No children were at the school on the day of the shooting.
Eight .40-caliber shell casings were recovered at the elementary school, authorities said.
After the shooting, Grable allegedly led police on a chase as he carried out a string of carjacking attempts that began at a car wash at 151st and Metcalf Avenue. A carjacking at gunpoint was later reported blocks away.
Grable was eventually arrested at the home of the owner of an SUV he took in south Overland Park, police said.
When he was taken into custody, Grable had a backpack that contained a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol with one live round in the magazine, according to the affidavit. He also had clothes and other belongings from the residence.
Grable pleaded guilty as charged, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s office. That included first-degree murder, attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated robbery and burglary.
Grable is set to be sentenced June 25, the district attorney’s office said.
