Crime

Man faces murder charge in shooting that led to hours-long standoff at KC home

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Wesley Tingey via Unsplash

A Kansas City man is charged with murder in a fatal shooting that killed a woman last week and led to a nearly nine-hour standoff inside a home on Kansas City’s east side, prosecutors announced Friday.

In addition to murder, Juan Maiden, 70, faces charges of unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.

Officers were dispatched to a residence on the 500 block of Booth Avenue after a shooting call around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Outside, they found the victim’s sister and a neighbor, who told officers Maiden shot the victim and was still inside, police said in a probable cause affidavit.

Police were unable to enter through the front door, so they broke out a window. Upon entry, they found a woman in the hallway with an apparent gunshot wound to her head, according to the affidavit. Officers got the victim out of the residence through the window. She was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

A witness told police she was in a bedroom talking to the victim when Maiden came in and shot her unprovoked with a handgun, according to the affidavit. The witness claimed Maiden stood over the victim and shot her two more times after she fell to the ground.

The witness said she hit Maiden in the head and face and was able to get the gun out of his hand and call the police.

Officers found Maiden in the basement of the home suffering from injuries to his head and face, police said, and that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

He was taken to a hospital for treatment, and upon his release, was interviewed by police.

Maiden’s interview with police

In his interview, Maiden allegedly told police he was in the living room attempting to install a ceiling fan and that one of the witnesses had the victim’s handgun. Allegedly, she began spinning the handgun around her finger and it discharged twice striking the victim, he said.

Maiden said he attempted to take the gun from her but was unable to disarm her. The witness allegedly began hitting him with the firearm, so he went to the basement, he told police. He said he fell asleep there and was awoken by a member of the Kansas City Police Department.

At the scene, police found a pool of blood on the floor in a bedroom, the affidavit said. Officers found two 9mm shell casings and one live 9mm round in the hallway outside of the bedroom. Two bullet holes were located in the floor of the hallway, according to the affidavit.

Two more spent 9mm casings were found in the living room, along with a live 9mm round, police said. Officers found a black 9mm handgun in the living room.

Maiden is due to appear in Jackson County Circuit Court at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1 for a bond review hearing. Prosecutors requested a $250,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is set for 3 p.m. Aug. 21.

This story was originally published July 26, 2024 at 12:55 PM.

Kendrick Calfee
The Kansas City Star
Kendrick Calfee covers breaking news for The Kansas City Star. He studied journalism and broadcasting at Northwest Missouri State University. Before joining The Star, he covered education, local government and sports at the Salina Journal.
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