Court ordered man to enroll in ‘anger management course’ before fatal shooting
A man is facing a second-degree murder charge after allegedly fatally shooting another man in the head outside an apartment building in Kansas City’s Midtown neighborhood over the weekend, according to Jackson County court documents.
A witness told detectives that Jose Poole, 34, was trying to de-escalate an argument when he was reportedly shot by 23-year-old Lamar Harris’El.
Harris’El faces one count each of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to a criminal complaint filed in Jackson County court Tuesday.
Officers with the Kansas City Police Department responded to an apartment building in the 3900 block of Baltimore Avenue just after 2 a.m. Saturday after receiving reports of a shooting, according to a probable cause statement in support of Harris’El’s arrest.
In the parking lot, investigators found 34-year-old Jose Poole, who had been shot in the head, the statement said. Poole was pronounced dead at the scene.
Video footage from the building’s security system showed what appeared to be a confrontation among several people, including Poole and Harris’El, in the parking lot just before 2 a.m., the statement said.
In the footage, Poole is seen approaching a group of people in the apartment parking lot, where the argument ensued, according to the court document.
Harris’El was standing next to the driver’s side door of a Chrysler Aspen, from which he allegedly pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, according to the probable cause statement.
He then reportedly approached Poole, taking a “shooter’s stance,” the statement said, with his hands on the weapon, which was pointed at Poole’s face. The footage allegedly showed Harris’El fire the gun at Poole.
As Poole fell, the gunman fired two more rounds, the footage shows. Harris’El reportedly fled the scene and the group dispersed, some leaving in the Chrysler and others running out of the camera’s view.
In an interview with homicide detectives, a witness said she had met with Harris’El, who she was dating, and the others in the group earlier that night, according to the statement.
The group planned to have a “game night,” and the woman drove the group to a residence in the Chrysler Aspen, the statement said. At some point, she became involved in an argument with Harris’El and another woman, who said she was pregnant with the man’s child.
After a security guard asked them to quiet down, the woman asked the group to leave, she told investigators. The argument continued into the parking lot, where she said Poole attempted to “de-escalate” the situation.
The witness told detectives Poole was unarmed, and wasn’t being aggressive.
Harris’El confronted Poole, and allegedly shot him in “a rapid burst of fire,” according to the court document. The witness said Harris’El fired another “burst” of gunshots while Poole was on the ground.
The woman told detectives she believed Harris’El had modified the gun, noting that shots were “fired quickly,” the statement said.
Following the shooting, the witness said Harris’El ran off, while others “frantically” got into the woman’s car, according to the court document. After dropping the group off, she returned to the scene, where she called the police.
The woman and a second witness provided investigators with similar statements and were able to identify Harris’El in a photo lineup.
Harris’El was previously convicted of first-degree robbery in Jackson County, stemming from an incident in August 2020, according to court records.
At the time of the fatal shooting, Harris’El was on probation in relation to the robbery. A Jackson County probation order from Dec. 11, 2025, ordered him to enroll in an anger management course by the end of the year.
Previously, he has been fined for disorderly conduct and littering in Lee’s Summit, according to court records. He has a pending domestic assault citation in Lee’s Summit from November 2025, when he allegedly struck a woman.
Harris’El is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $150,000 cash-only bond, according to the jail’s inmate listing. No further court dates are set in his case.
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 6:12 PM.
