Crime

Man who confessed to murder at Kansas hospital also opened fire in the emergency room

The University of Kansas Medical Center, pictured on June 19, 2023 via Google Earth.
The University of Kansas Medical Center, pictured on June 19, 2023 via Google Earth. Google Earth

A man who walked into KU Medical Center and confessed to killing a woman has also been charged with firing a gun in the hospital, according to court documents.

The victim of the killing has been identified by police as LaToya Seamster, 42. Seamster lived in Kansas City, Kansas.

Court documents identify the shooter as Jessie Wayne Buchanan Jr., 33 of Kansas City, Kansas.

Buchanan entered KU Medical Center on Tuesday around 11:45 p.m. and told police there that he had killed someone, according to a KCKPD spokesperson.

After hearing from Buchanan, officers responded to a home on North Hallock St., where they found Seamster dead with a gunshot wound.

When he got to the hospital, Buchanan shot his gun into the ceiling at the security entrance to the emergency room, according to a KU Med internal email obtained by The Star. KCK Police indicated to employees that the shooting was likely not a targeted threat against the hospital.

Buchanan, who made his first appearance in court on Friday morning, is charged with felony murder in the second degree, criminal discharge of a firearm, and two counts of criminal property damage.

Buchanan is also charged with animal cruelty as it relates to torture or murder of an animal. He is being held at a cash bond of a quarter million dollars.

Seamster’s death was the tenth homicide in Kansas City, Kansas, this year, according to police data. At this time last year, there had been seven homicides in the city.

The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed reporting.

Ilana Arougheti
The Kansas City Star
Ilana Arougheti (they/she) is The Kansas City Star’s Jackson County watchdog reporter, covering local government and accountability issues with a focus on eastern Jackson County .They are a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism, sociology and gender studies. Ilana most recently covered breaking news for The Star and previously wrote for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Raleigh News & Observer. Feel free to reach out with questions or tips! Support my work with a digital subscription
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