Man dies after being shot on I-435; KC highway reopens after hours-long closure
A man died after police found him shot on southbound Interstate 435 early Monday, prompting a several-hour closure of the highway as officers investigated the homicide, a police spokesman said.
Officers responded shortly before 1 a.m. to reports of a shooting near East Gregory Boulevard and I-435, said Sgt. Phil DiMartino of the Kansas City Police Department.
Arriving officers found a vehicle off the road on southbound I-435 with the victim inside, who had been shot, and they started lifesaving measures. An emergency medical crew from the Kansas City Fire Department took over medical care and took the victim to a hospital, where he was declared dead, DiMartino said.
The man’s death is being investigated as a homicide. No one was in custody and detectives were working to determine what led up to the shooting, DiMartino said.
Southbound I-435 was closed for several hours while homicide detectives and crime scene investigators collected evidence and looked for possible witnesses and surveillance video. The highway reopened shortly before the Monday morning rush hour.
The killing is the city’s 41st homicide the year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. That compares to 53 homicides reported by this time last year.
Detectives urged anyone with information about the homicide to call the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS (8477). Tips submitted anonymously to the hotline may be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000.
Tipsters may also call homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043.
