Police were at KCK bar hours before mass shooting; didn’t find suspect in disturbance
Hours before a mass shooting left four dead and five wounded Sunday at a bar in Kansas City, Kansas, police were there to investigate a reported disturbance, according to officials.
But police did not find a suspect in the disturbance at the bar, and they left. They would return later to find nine people shot.
That news was among the details provided Monday by Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor David Alvey and interim Police Chief Michael York as they spoke at a news conference.
“We were dispatched on a disturbance we tried to locate the suspect and he had left prior to our arrival,” York said. “I don’t believe we had any information that he was going to come back and do what he did.”
The shooting unfolded about 1:30 a.m. inside Tequila KC, a small bar near near 10th Street and Central Avenue. According to witnesses, a man had been thrown out of the bar and returned, armed and with an accomplice, to shoot up the bar filled with dozens of patrons.
Police responding to the slaughter found four men dead inside the bar, and five people outside wounded from gunfire.
The slain victims were identified as Everardo Meza, 29, Alfredo Calderon Jr, 29, Francisco Garcia Anaya, 34, and Martin Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 58.
According to police, the shooting stemmed from one of the suspects getting into an altercation inside the bar and being ordered to leave. A few hours later, that suspect and another man returned to the bar armed with handguns.
“It appeared that they fired at specific individuals,” York said. “As they left the scene, they continued to fire into the crowd.”
York said investigators recovered video from inside the bar. However, the video would not be released because it’s part of the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors charged two suspects, Hugo Villanueva-Morales, 29, and Javier Alatorre, 23, with four counts of first-degree murder. Alatorre was in custody and Villanueva-Morales remained at large Monday. Bond for both men was set at $1 million.
York said authorities are seeking the public’s help in locating Villanueva-Morales. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
“I would consider him armed and dangerous,” he said. “If they see him, do not confront him, call 911 and give them the best description they can give but stay away from him because he is armed.”
York said their investigation remains active and detectives are receiving tips. But he also asked that other witnesses come forward. Police are being assisted by the FBI, Kansas City police and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
“We hope to find him soon,” he said.
The massacre left shocked relatives searching for their loved ones in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Some children have lost their parents. Some parents lost their children. Friends lost friends. Our city lost good neighbors,” said Kansas City, Kansas Mayor David Alvey.
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who represents Wyandotte County, also attended the press conference and afterward expressed her condolences to those affected by the shooting.
“None of us want our cities or communities hit with this kind of tragedy,” Davids said. “It’s heartbreaking to have this community be part of what unfortunately has happened too many times. My heart goes out to the families affected by this.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2019 at 7:24 PM.
