Man arrested in Ohio charged in Kansas City, Kansas homicide; more arrests expected
Eight months after a 30-year-old man was fatally shot at a Kansas City, Kansas, park, a man has been charged with murder, the Wyandotte County sheriff announced Wednesday.
U.S. Marshals arrested David L. Young III on Tuesday in Cleveland. He was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and criminal discharge of a firearm in Wyandotte County District Court.
At a news conference Wednesday, Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic said the investigation into the shooting of Skylar Needham remains ongoing, but he expects more arrests in addition to Young’s.
On Aug. 15, 2021, deputies responded to Matney Park after reports were made of gunfire heard in the area. Needham was found suffering from several gunshot wounds in a car parked by Matney Park near Shawnee Drive and South 39th Street.
Neighbors near the park said they heard as many as 16 gunshots before police arrived and roped off the area with crime scene tape.
Wyandotte County officials said Needham had been playing Pokémon Go, something he often did at the park.
Days after the homicide authorities announced that five people, ranging in age from 19 to 22, had been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. All were taken into custody in the 1100 block of County Line Road. Two were held at the time on warrants related to other alleged crimes and three others were released pending further investigation.
Young was not one of the five people taken into custody in August.
Needham’s killing marked the 24th in Kansas City, Kansas, during 2021, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year ended with 51 homicides in Kansas City, Kansas.
