Records: Alleged Leavenworth bridge shooter shot at least 38 rounds, used two guns
A Platte County man accused of shooting into cars on the Centennial Bridge in Leavenworth, Kansas, fired 15 rounds from one gun before retrieving an AR-15 style rifle from his car and shooting at least another 23 rounds, newly released court records allege.
A criminal affidavit provided to The Star Friday details the allegations against 37-year-old Joseph Westrem, who is charged with 9 counts of first-degree attempted murder for allegedly opening fire at random, injuring one person on the bridge last month.
A Fort Leavenworth soldier, Master Sgt. David Royer, hit Westrem with his car in an attempt to end the shooting.
According to the affidavit:
The shooting started just before 11 a.m. on May 27 when witnesses say Westrem stopped his car in the eastbound lane of traffic and fired 15 rounds using a 9mm handgun from his drivers seat.
Using the handgun he struck two cars. There was a child in one of the cars, prosecutors said.
Westrem then got out of his car and retrieved an AM-15 rifle from his trunk and fired 23 rounds.
He struck at least four cars including one that had a child inside. One of the occupants of the cars was transported to the hospital after he was struck with gunfire.
Royer told police that he saw Westrem retrieve the gun and “believed the man was actively trying to kill people on the bridge.” Royer struck Westrem with his truck.
Another witness, who was working on the bridge to direct traffic, told police that he heard gunfire and began to tell people to drive away as he fled east on foot. The sign he had been using to direct traffic was found by detectives with bullet holes in it.
Gun violence will be the subject of a new, statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.
To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
This story was originally published June 27, 2020 at 12:10 PM.
