Man charged in shooting that killed KC food truck owner at Prospect gathering
A man has been charged with accessory to murder in connection with a shooting that killed a Kansas City food truck owner earlier this year.
Derrion S. Turner, 28, was charged Friday with accessory to second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of armed criminal action, according to Jackson County online court records.
Officers were in the area of East 70th Street and Prospect Avenue just before 2 a.m. Aug. 5 when gunfire erupted at a large gathering, a probable cause affidavit said.
Dyamund Shields Jr., 31, was working out of his food truck, Chicken Mac-N-Cheese, when the gunfire broke out. Shields was killed in the exchange and five others were injured, police said.
Video surveillance of shooting
Detectives reviewed video surveillance of nearby businesses which showed four cars parked on Prospect near the scene of the shooting. They identified one man who had been in a parked car as Turner, according to court documents.
Turner had been previously released from federal custody and wore a GPS ankle monitor. According to court documents, GPS data from Turner’s ankle monitor placed him in the vicinity of the homicide.
Surveillance showed Turner and a group of people standing near vehicles when another group of men walked past them south on Prospect Avenue. As they were passing by, one of the men stopped and stared at the group with Turner. At that time, Turner allegedly pulled out a gun and began shooting toward the other group, according to the police affidavit.
A “chaotic exchange” of gunfire ensued, according to the affidavit.
After the shooting, everyone involved fled the area on foot and in vehicles, police said in the affidavit.
A witness allegedly told Kansas City Police that she had been with Turner and her friends earlier that night. The witness said she was on the phone with Turner when she heard him yell, “run,” and the call was disconnected.
The witness said she met Turner at a lake near his apartment and that he was acting normal, the affidavit said. She allegedly told police that Turner said young guys in ski masks started shooting and then out of nowhere everyone started shooting.
The witness denied seeing Turner with a gun that night and said they were never in the same vehicle together.
Turner denies involvement
Turner was detained Aug. 9 in Leavenworth for failing to comply with his release requirements, according to court records.
In an interview with police, Turner allegedly told detectives he met with a woman and her friends Aug. 4 in Westport and went to a bar on Vine Street, the affidavit said. He told police that they left the bar and drove on Prospect with the windows down to talk to people as they were stopped in traffic.
Turner said he didn’t stay at the location long because when they drove by, there were too many people with guns and he didn’t feel comfortable. He allegedly told police he heard about the shooting on the news. He denied having any involvement in the shooting and denied possessing a firearm, the police affidavit said.
Turner was convicted of receiving a firearm while under indictment in 2016. In 2023, he was convicted on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee and Illana Arougheti contributed to this story.
