KC man faces federal gun charge in firefighter’s killing at Independence gas station

A Kansas City man who was involved in the death of a firefighter was charged in federal court Friday with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Federal prosecutors filed the charge against Ja’Von L. Taylor, 23, in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City in connection with a fatal shooting Thursday at an Independence gas station. Police identified the man killed in the shooting as Anthony Santi, a Kansas City firefighter.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Independence police were dispatched about 2:31 p.m. on a reported shooting of a victim inside a convenience store at Road Star, 11100 E. U.S. 40 Highway.

Surveillance videos showed Taylor return to his vehicle after becoming very agitated inside the business. Surveillance videos also showed Taylor and Santi fighting over an item that Taylor was holding, which was a firearm with an extended magazine.

At one point, the female passenger with Taylor got the firearm and fired a round, appearing to hit Santi in the back. Santi died as a result of the injuries sustained from the gunshot.

Taylor was in federal custody Friday pending a detention hearing.

In a statement Friday, the Kansas City Fire Department said Santi joined the agency in 2011.

“As a close-knit organization, we are shocked by yesterday’s tragic loss of FF Santi, and my deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends,” Fire Chief Donna Lake said in the statement.

“KCFD is used to responding to these events and it is difficult to imagine the death of one of our own in such a way. We are fortunate as a fire department to have our 42Cares program as a mechanism for our employees to deal with this sudden loss of Tony.”

Funeral arrangements were to be announced soon, the statement said.

This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 3:51 PM.