9 victims were shot outside Kansas City auto shop known for informal parties, police say
A shooting that left three people dead and six others wounded unfolded outside an auto shop known for hosting gatherings, Kansas City police said.
The shooting happened at the business on the northwest corner of East 57th Street and Prospect Avenue, Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman with the Kansas City Police Department, confirmed Monday.
That business, Perfect Touch Auto Detail, at 5646 Prospect Avenue, was established on May 19, 2014, according to documents from the Missouri Secretary of State.
The purpose of the business, according to the establishing documents, was auto detailing and sales of used tires and salvage.
“The gathering was outside an auto/mechanic shop business that is known to host informal ‘after hours’ gatherings,” Becchina said Monday.
The shooting appeared to have happened in the parking lot on the shop’s property and in the street in front of the business.
“There is not a licensed club/bar/restaurant at that location,” Becchina said.
Nathaniel Gadson, who is listed as the owner and manager of the auto shop, could not immediately be reached for comment. An employee outside the shop Monday said he did not know anything about the shooting.
Police have responded to three disturbances at the business in the past two years: On Oct. 22, an assault was reported in the intersection; on May 14, 2022, a disturbance over a stolen car was reported; and on Aug. 9, 2021, a person experiencing a mental health crisis was reportedly throwing items at cars on the property, Becchina said.
A local business owner, who asked not to be named, said a number of weekend gatherings had occurred in recent weeks in or around the auto shop, including a sizable event with bikini-clad women. The owner said the business should be “vacated.”
The shooting
On Sunday morning, several hours after the shooting, at least two dozen evidence markers were lined up across the intersection from the auto shop.
Andy Brown, the father of victim Camden Brown, said that he thought the after hours space should be shut down.
The mayor expressed a similar sentiment Sunday on Twitter.
“If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas wrote, adding: “And similarly situated businesses operating as unlicensed clubs where we have seen countless shootings and murders should expect the same enforcement action.”
The Star has put in inquiries with Kansas City officials about what enforcement actions could be taken for hosting after hours gatherings without proper permits.
Officers responded to the shooting just after 4:30 a.m. Sunday, where they found the two men and a woman shot outside.
Families identified the victims to The Star on Sunday as 28-year-old Jasity J. Strong, a mother of two who was out celebrating her birthday; 29-year-old Camden M. Brown, who ran with his girlfriend away from the gunfire; and 22-year-old Nikko A. Manning, who turned 22 on Saturday and was celebrating with family across the street when he was shot.
My condolences to the families of three people killed in a shooting this morning at an apparent after-hours gathering near 57 and Prospect.
If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed.— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) June 25, 2023
In responding to a Twitter user asking about whether the business should face charges, Lucas suggested a lawsuit.
“I’d look to sue them,” he wrote. “There certainly is civil liability.”
A person of interest was taken into custody Sunday evening at a home in the 5300 block of Martha Truman Road in Grandview, police said. The man’s name has not been released, as he has not been charged.
Someone who lives near the shop said “it sounded like war” when the gunshots first rang out. Another neighbor said that more than 40 shots were fired.
The triple homicide came about one month after a shooting at Klymax Lounge, 4242 Indiana Ave., just 2.5 miles away, that killed three people and injured two.
By some definitions, both incidents could be considered mass shootings.
Including Sunday’s shootings, there have been 99 homicides in Kansas City so far this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. At this time last year, there had been 74 killings. In 2020, the deadliest year on record, 95 homicides had been recorded by this time in Kansas City.
