Audio captures police swarming Ward Parkway mall in Kansas City after shots fired
Police from across the Kansas City area swarmed the Ward Parkway Shopping Center and went shop by shop looking for victims and possible gunmen after shots were fired at the busy mall Tuesday night, according to audio captured by Broadcastify.com.
No one was reportedly injured when the shots were fired about 6:45 p.m. at the shopping mall at 8600 Ward Parkway. But the sound of gunfire scared holiday shoppers, some who fled outside into the parking lots while others hid inside when stores were locked down.
Radio traffic indicated at least three people were taken into custody Tuesday night, including one person who had a 9 mm handgun that had a magazine that was missing rounds and was “warm to the touch,” according to the audio of that radio traffic. A police spokesperson later said two people were taken into custody.
Police radio traffic, captured by Broadcastify, gave a glimpse of the chaotic scene that unfolded after gunfire was reported in the mall.
“Kansas City has called an assist an officer — 8600 Ward Parkway,” said a dispatcher, who was requesting a city-wide assist from other police departments in the metro area. She advised that shots had been fired.
One officer at the scene advised people were running out of the Target store and that he and his partner were inside. Gunshots had come from a center of the mall.
“I want everyone to go in through the Target so that we don’t run into any crossfires when we go in,” a police officer said.
Another officer advised that the shots were fired near an east entrance between Ross Dress for Less and PetSmart. There were shell casings on the ground.
“Right here we got shattered glass and bullet fragments,” the officer said. “We don’t have any victims at this point.”
As more officers were arrive at the mall, a dispatcher advised that they had received a call saying there was a shooter inside T.J. Maxx.
“Guys inside the mall, start pushing towards T.J. Maxx,” an officer said. “Myself and another car are pulling up.”
Shortly thereafter, another officer advised that there was no shooter inside the store.
“Everyone is saying no and it’s business as usual,” the officer said.
As officers began searching the mall for a shooter and victims, they told stores to close and lock their doors. With more officers arriving, a commander told them to help direct traffic out of the mall parking lots.
“We’ve just created one heck of a traffic jam,” an officer said.
Shortly thereafter, a dispatcher said a caller reported that there was a suspicious person near the Career Education Systems center who appeared to be hiding. When officers arrived, there was no one there, but the center was locked.
“People are barricaded inside of there,” dispatchers said. They were escorted out a short time later.
At one point during the search, a dispatcher advised that a shooter was knocking on the doors of the Five Guys restaurant at the mall.
Officers in the area quickly converged and detained some people. The restaurant was then evacuated. One of the officers advised that one of the persons taken into custody had a gun.
“The white male we had detained had a 9 mm handgun on him,” an officer said. “The magazine was missing rounds. One officer described the firearm warm to the touch.”
The officers were told to place the people they had detained into police transport wagons.
“Do we want these detained parties held in separate wagons? Or are they okay to sit together for warmth for now?” an officer asked.
“I’m not worried about warmth right now. Separate please,” another officer replied.
Police contacted hospitals to see if anyone was admitted with gunshot wounds Tuesday night, letting the hospitals to be on alert because they had an active-shooter event at the mall.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch provided some information for this story.
