‘Very loud and scary’: 15-year-old recounts seeing friend shot Sunday

By Lily O’Shea Becker

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — Two people were killed and three others injured in a shooting Sunday at East 13th Street and Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Miles Clancy, 15, and four of his friends drove to the parking lot at the intersection to meet up with a couple of people and hang out.

“I think pretty much every parking space was full,” Clancy said. “Everybody was here, cool cars and stuff. Just a little hangout.”

He said four of the victims were in the group he was hanging out with.

Two men were killed in the shooting.

“I ran behind this dispensary here, ran behind this little brick wall until the shots stopped. And I come back and he’s on the ground, so I’m helping him into the car, holding his head up while he’s lying in the back seat,” Clancy said of his 16-year-old friend.

He said a fight broke out, and a shootout between several people followed. Clancy’s friend was caught in the crossfire. As a result, the teen suffered multiple injuries.

“I didn’t leave the hospital until I knew he was OK,” Clancy said.

Clancy returned to the parking lot Monday to retrieve his phone from his friend’s car.

“Just six weeks ago, I had a lot of conversations with business owners in that area who talked to me about this particular surface parking lot,” Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Sunday. “There was a shooting that hit businesses nearby, people were injured.”

On Thursday, Lucas introduced an ordinance to regulate privately-owned surface parking lots in the city’s entertainment districts and the Central Business District.

He said there is a deeper issue at the core of shootings, but this would be a step toward safety.

“What we need to actually have is private property owners who step up and make sure a few simple things happen: lighting, security, that they’re calling 911 if there is an incident where people are congregating,” Lucas said.

Kansas City, Missouri’s parcel viewer shows Copaken Brooks LLC owns an area of the surface parking lot at East 13th Street and Grand Boulevard.

“We are all deeply concerned about the recent incident near 12th and Grand, and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones affected by Sunday morning’s events,” Annemijn Steele, senior vice president of operations for Copaken Brooks, said in a statement to KSHB 41 News on Sunday. “The safety of our community, residents, and visitors remains our top priority. We are actively working with city leaders, law enforcement, and local stakeholders to explore additional resources and solutions to ensure downtown continues to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”

Kansas City Councilman Crispin Rea said he wants to talk with surface parking lot owners before making a decision on the ordinance.

“We need to at least have the conversation about how we work together to make sure these hot spots don’t continue to create violence in the community,” Rea said.

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