Merriam police investigate fatal shooting connected to car crash Friday morning
Update: The deceased has been identified as Jentre Demarkus Parker-White, 37, of Kansas City, Kansas.
The Merriam Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting and car crash that appear to be related Friday, Police Chief Darren McLaughlin said.
Officers responded around 8:15 a.m. to a call for shots fired at a construction site on Shawnee Mission Parkway near Eby Avenue. Shortly after, officers were notified of a two-car crash at Johnson Drive and Slater Street.
Police responded to both incidents simultaneously. A preliminary investigation revealed one of the vehicles involved in the crash was involved in the shots fired disturbance, McLaughlin said in an email.
When responding to the crash, police learned that the driver of one of the cars involved was actively bleeding from a gunshot wound, according to McLaughlin. The driver was transported to a local hospital, where he was shortly pronounced dead.
Police are still gathering information and investigating what led up to the shooting. McLaughlin said there is no ongoing threat to the public, and that they have those suspected to be involved in the incident in custody.
Police are not looking for any other suspects at this time, McLaughlin said. Detectives believe everyone involved in the two incidents has been located as of Friday afternoon.
“We have everyone we need right now that was involved in the incident,” McLaughlin said in a phone call.
McLaughlin said officers are working to determine what led up to the shooting and crash, and will release more details when they become available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 1:07 PM.
