Kansas City man charged for alleged involvement in April Johnson County shooting
A Kansas City man has been charged for his alleged involvement in a Johnson County shooting that injured three – including two minors – in April.
Demetris Taylor, 20, was charged with the aggravated battery of two separate victims after traffic cameras captured a green Dodge Challenger pursuing the victims’ gray Chevrolet Cruze down Shawnee Mission Parkway after 10 p.m. on April 3, 2022, according to documents filed in Johnson County District Court last month.
The victims were shot on the roadway after a confrontation about a stolen backpack at Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Shawnee, prosecutors say.
According to the court documents, one of the victims told detectives at the hospital that he and his friends were approached by a group of seven to eight people who started chasing them out of the parking lot. He said none of his friends knew anything about a backpack.
The victims drove to a nearby gas station, where a green Dodge Challenger blocked them in.
After maneuvering over a curb to escape the Challenger, both vehicles continued driving until they reached Shawnee Mission Parkway, where the victim reported hearing several rounds of gunshots as they drove.
A victim told police the car followed them through several red lights. Multiple occupants were hit by the bullets, while others were uninjured.
“Boom, a shot fired at the car,” the victim told police. “A couple more got shot off, and I got hit.”
Officers recovered eight cartridge cases from the scene.
The day after the incident, Merriam police released photos of the suspect’s car and its license plate number in hopes of finding the parties responsible. Police later determined the Challenger belonged to Taylor.
According to prosecutors, surveillance cameras outside the trampoline park captured Taylor and other occupants exiting the Challenger. Prosecutors allege Taylor signed a waiver for the park earlier that day.
Taylor was arrested Jan. 10 and later posted his $25,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 8.
The court documents say one of the victims was shot in the back of the head and required surgery. Another victim was shot in the right elbow. The other victim’s injuries were not detailed, and no information was immediately available on the status of the victims’ recoveries.
