Man shot in head faces unlawful firearm charge day after Independence Center shooting
Jackson County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 26-year-old man following a Monday shooting in which he was shot in the head in the Independence Center parking lot.
Russell D. Reed, 26, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.
Reed was convicted in 2019 of resisting arrest by fleeing in Clinton County, according to court documents.
Police responded to a report of shots fired shortly after 2:30 p.m., according to the probable cause statement.
One officer saw Reed waving his arms and holding his head near the car stopped at a stop sign. Reed, according to court documents, told the officer he was shot while driving out of the parking lot. He said he didn’t know who shot him.
Reed was then taken to the hospital.
Police took another man to the police station for a statement, where he said he and Reed were inside when they saw another man they didn’t know following them. Reed told police that the man they didn’t know confronted them while shopping. When they left, that man was hiding behind a car holding a rifle and shot at them as they drove by, according to court documents.
Then, Reed allegedly fired back as they fled.
Reed also told detectives that he tossed the handgun near the U.S. Bank. It wasn’t found.
The second vehicle involved in the shooting was found later unoccupied.
Several witnesses were nearly struck by gunfire while sitting in or walking to their cars, according to court documents.
About 30 shell casings, including rifle rounds, were found in the parking lot, said Independence Police Department spokesman Officer John Syme. One stray bullet broke a window at the Chic-fil-A with customers inside.
“This could’ve been a lot worse,” Syme said.
Last week, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg inside the shopping center. The teenager is still hospitalized, police said.
In late December, police called on parents to pick up their kids from the center after multiple large disturbances and fights involving several hundred teenagers broke out, causing the mall to close early.
On Tuesday, mall leadership put a new curfew in effect. No minors are allowed into the mall without a parent or legal guardian present after 3 p.m. everyday. A 9 p.m. curfew was already in place.
Anyone with information should call the Tips Hotline at 816-474-8477, Independence police tips at 816-325-7777 or email leads@indepmo.org.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 7:36 PM.
