Kansas City man sentenced to 67 years after fatal shooting in grocery store parking lot

A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 67 years in prison for a fatal shooting outside a grocery store in 2020.

Blade Elliott, 22, was convicted by a jury in August of second-degree murder, attempted robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. Last month, he also pleaded guilty to first-degree assault, the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office said.

He was sentenced to 30 years on the murder charge, 27 years on the armed criminal action counts and 10 years for the robbery, to run consecutively. He was sentenced to 15 years in the assault case which will be served concurrently.

On June 8, 2020, officers found Trinton Phillips inside a vehicle in the parking lot of the Cosentino’s Price Chopper at 9717 N. Ash Avenue. The 21-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined Phillips set up marijuana deal with Elliott. When they met at the parking lot, Elliott got into the car and reached for a bag of marijuana near Phillips. When Phillips tried to stop him, Elliot shot Phillips four times and fled, court documents said.