KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges against a man for his involvement in a shooting that took place outside a lounge in the Kansas City suburb of Independence.
Mekai G. Kelly-James, 24, faces one count of 1st Degree Assault, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.
According to court records, Independence police were dispatched to a lounge near E. Valley View Parkway and Little Blue Parkway on May 5 on reports of gunfire. Officers located two security guards detaining the Kelly-James in front of a nearby restaurant. He was taken into custody.
The victim said he and other security staff were breaking up a fight inside the lounge involving Kelly-James and several other patrons. Kelly-James was escorted out of the building. Moments later, the victim observed the Kelly-James at a vehicle retrieving a firearm and then firing into the air and toward security staff. The victim and other security staff returned fire, and the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during the exchange. The victim was able to disarm and detain Kelly-James at a nearby business.
A check of Kelly-James' firearm revealed it had been reported stolen. A detective tested the weapon and found it had been modified with a metal bar affixed to the rear side, altering the weapon’s firing mechanism. The firearm exhibited erratic and dangerous discharge behavior, at times functioning in a fully automatic capacity.
Independence police are asking for patrons who have video footage of the incident to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at (816) 474-8477 or the Independence Police Department Gun Squad at (816) 325-7330.