Shut down unlicensed KC nightclub near 79th and Troost, where gunfire hurt 9 | Porter
Shut it down.
That was my immediate reaction when I learned that Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas blamed a mass shooting that injured nine people over the weekend on the operators of an unlicensed after-hours nightclub near 79th Street and Troost Avenue. Any property owner allowing anyone to host an event that leads to this sort of violence must be shuttered immediately, due process notwithstanding.
Kansas City did it before, shutting down a detailing business and auto shop after three people were killed and five others injured in a 2023 mass shooting at an after-hours gathering near 57th Street and Prospect. City leaders — I’m looking at you, Mayor Lucas — must deploy the same protocol in this instance that they used to revoke the business licenses associated with that deadly event.
After watching video footage of the latest incident on Troost, it is beyond a miracle that no one was killed with the amount of bullets that I heard ring out on the video. Whatever police need to do to hold the people responsible for the barrage of gunfire must be done including arresting and charging anyone that let off rounds or shot someone.
“We are grateful there was no loss of life,” Lucas wrote in a post on X. “We will hold the offenders and all in violation of the law accountable.”
Lee’s Summit Downtown Days
In Lee’s Summit, when reports surfaced that teens caused numerous disturbances and fights at the annual Downtown Days Festival, I thought: People really need to get their darn kids in order.
Not to come off as Mr. Perfect here because I have teenage kids and God only knows what they do when I am not around. But I would hope that they have enough home training not to cause problems when they are not in the presence of their mother or myself.
According to The Star, Lee’s Summit police detained two teens during fights that broke out around 7:40 p.m. Saturday. One teen allegedly discharged bear spray and another was found with an unregistered 3D-printed “ghost” gun, which is a scary thought. A teen in possession of a weapon is concerning enough but having an untraceable one on hand is beyond the pale.
Parents really need to stop letting their children run amok and unsupervised at events like this and other family-friendly gatherings.
Westport QuikTrip shooting
Lastly, reports that a fatal shooting inside a Westport area QuikTrip that claimed two lives really ticked me off. How brazen must one be to let off rounds inside a convenience store. Two men, 24-year-old Rickey L. Cal and 18-year-old Jeron Jackson, died as a result. To take someone’s life in such a horrific manner is really disheartening. My hope is that Kansas City Police will quickly identify a suspect or suspects and make an arrest.
Once the dust settled early Monday, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of exasperation about the senseless gun violence that continues to plague the community.
But I will not let the actions of a few people deter my vision of what Kansas City can become — a safe and loving environment for all to thrive in — and neither should you.
