Blue Springs man charged in Independence shooting that seriously injured one
A Blue Springs man faces two felony charges in connection with a shooting that left a 49-year-old man seriously wounded at an Independence home on Wednesday evening.
Braden R. Boice, 41, was charged Thursday with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, Jackson County Court records show. He was arrested shortly after the assault unfolded as the caller and a gunshot victim both identified Boice by his first name, authorities allege.
According to charging documents, Independence police officers were called to the shooting scene in the 15200 block of East 40th Street shortly before 7 p.m. by a woman who informed 911 dispatchers that her boyfriend had been shot. The gunshot victim was taken by ambulance to Centerpoint Hospital with multiple injuries.
At the crime scene, investigators found bullet holes around the front door of the residence and a window. Five 9mm shell casings were discovered in the grass of the front yard just beyond the driveway.
The Independence detective investigating the case wrote in court papers that Boice was quickly identified and arrested based on witness statements and one officer’s previous knowledge of him for calls for service to his Blue Springs home.
As Boice was being taken into police custody, an officer saw a holstered handgun on the front seat of his Toyota Prius, according to court documents. The car was towed and searched, after which investigators reported finding a Beretta pistol, five more spent shell casings and 30 rounds of ammunition.
Boice was interviewed at Independence police headquarters that night. The detective believed Boice to be “very unstable” and suspected he might suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness, according to court papers.
The detective reported Boice was “laughing hysterically” during the interview and that he was displeased to learn the gunshot victim had survived. Boice allegedly described himself as a “government assassin” and summarized the shooting as a “military crime.”
Authorities suspected Boice was motivated to carry out the shooting because of a past relationship, though the exact details were unclear.
Boice was being held in the Jackson County jail without bond. A Jackson County judge issued an order on Friday that Boice undergo a mental health examination.
