House Explosion and Shooting in South Kansas City

KMBC ^

[gura]

House Explodes In South KC Police Search For Shooter

POSTED: 4:05 pm CST February 23, 2004 UPDATED: 5:13 pm CST February 23, 2004

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --

House Explodes In South KC

Two homes are burning at this hour in south Kansas City. One home burned to the ground, and the second home exploded.

The fires are burning on Grandview Road just north of Bannister Road. KMBC's Johnny Rowlands reported that a serious explosion may have been caused by a propane tank in one of the homes. The explosion sent debris flying into the air at least 1,000 feet, Rowlands said. Police said rubble landed five blocks away from the home.

Fire Battalion 107 was the first to arrive at the scene, and quickly came under fire from an unknown shooter, KMBC's Maria Antonia reported. The 12 firefighters called for help, and police and additional emergency crews were sent to the scnee. According to Chief Germane Friends, none of the firefighters were injured.

Slideshow

View Images From Scene

Images Of Explosion, Search

Police said there were shots fired from the woods near one of the homes. Officers were seen crouching behind vehicles with guns drawn. No emergency or fire workers appeared to approach the house despite intense flames, apparently because of the shooting.

A female paramedic was apparently injured before the explosion. She was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Her identity has not been released.

Police have cordoned off the area while they search for the shooter. Bannister Road was shut down at highway 71, which was causing backups in the area. Officers are patrolling the area on foot and in armored vehicles.

Officers evacuated people from several homes in the neighborhood by placing them in armored vehicles and driving residents from the scene.

Some parents who have students at Santa Fe Elementary school will need to pick their children up because of the situation, KMBC reported. Students who ride buses eight and 18 need to be picked up at the school, which is located at 8980 Old Santa Fe Road.

[TroutStalker]

Local NBC is saying the man has a minor history of assault, also code violations for trash on the property.

Described him as an outdoor type person and a hunter. Also has a construction company and stores propane tanks on the property.

[TroutStalker]

Fox 4 news is calling the man a gun collector.

[kcpopps]

nor will (unchambered) cooking off rounds expel lethal projectiles

I didn't know that. Well that changes my initial theory then (that there was no shooter, just cooking rounds). One person has indeed been shot so there must have been a shooter. I did just hear a new report that other officers said they were fired upon by someone behind a shed..

[kcpopps]

yeah - they interviewed someone who knew him a little while ago. That person said the man was very nice and they couldn't imagine him shooting at police.

This whole thing is very strange

[TroutStalker]

nor will (unchambered) cooking off rounds expel lethal projectiles.

Correct. Without a barrel to contain the expanding gases behind the projectile, minimal velocity is achieved; the gas is expelled in all directions and pressure disipated almost instantly.

[gura]

When I was driving by the sounds reminded me of a campfire or bonfire, but I was 3-400 yards away.

[TroutStalker]

Fire chief was just saying all the firetrucks tires were shot out.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Holy crap, that's right near me, I'm in Overland Park!

Calm down, xrp, it missed you by at least 5 miles. :-)

It sure got the local media excited. They're acting like it's KC's version of 9/11.

[FreePaul]

Probably more danger from flying cases than the bullet. The bullet is generally heavier than the case so the case can explode and go off in all directions. Not very far though. If enough ammunition goes off there could be a lot of debris flying around but not going great distances. A chambered round cooking off however would be the same as firing the weapon as to the danger from a bullet.

[FreePaul]

...the firetrucks tires were shot out.

Now the odds of that happening as a result of ammunition cooking off are pretty slim.

[gura]

http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/2868094/detail.html

Shooter Opens Fire On Authorities After Explosions
1 Paramedic Wounded

POSTED: 4:05 pm CST February 23, 2004
UPDATED: 7:47 pm CST February 23, 2004

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --
Video


House Explodes In South KC




Two homes exploded in south Kansas City Monday afternoon as an apparent sniper fired shots at emergency workers. One female paramedic was hit.

The explosions happened on Grandview Road just north of Bannister Road around 4 p.m. KMBC's Johnny Rowlands reported that one explosion may have been caused by a propane tank in one of the homes. NewsChopper 9 was in the air above the home when the second explosion occurred and captured it on tape. The explosion sent debris flying into the air at least 1,000 feet, Rowlands said. Police said rubble landed five blocks away from the home.

Fire Battalion 107 was the first to arrive at the scene, and quickly came under fire from an unknown shooter, KMBC's Maria Antonia reported. The 12 firefighters called for help, and police and additional emergency crews were sent to the scene. According to Fire Department spokesman Germane Friends, none of the firefighters was injured.

Slideshow

View Images From Scene

Images Of Explosion, Search


Police said the shots were fired from the woods near one of the homes. No emergency or fire workers approached the house despite intense flames, apparently because of the shooting.

A female paramedic was shot by the sniper, according to Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust spokesman Eric Dooley. The paramedic's name has not been released, but Dooley said she has been with MAST for more than 15 years. Her injuries were serious, but she was awake and alert before undergoing surgery at an area hospital, Dooley said.

"As far as I can remember this is the first incident of a paramedic being shot in Kansas City. They've been shot at, but never shot," Dooley said.

Two bullet holes were visible in an ambulance parked at the scene of the explosions, KMBC's Dan Weinbaum reported.

Kansas City Fire Chief Smokey Dyer called what happened a "deliberate ambush."

"Whenever you arrive at a fire incident scene and numerous pieces of fire apparatus -- all together we have four pieces of apparatus that have been heavily shot, we have reports from our personnel and the tactical team from the police department that's been in the area that all of our tires have been shot out -- it would be hard to believe that this could be an accidental event," Dyer said.

Police Search For Shooter

"When the officers arrived on the scene to assist the Fire Department and MAST personnel, as soon as they exited their vehicle they came under fire along with MAST and fire personnel. The officers observed where the fire was coming from and observed a suspect standing beside a building at which time the officers returned fire at the suspect," said Capt. Ron Fletcher.

Officers pulled back from their positions right after the second home exploded.

"They obviously saw the weapon protruding from beside the building, along with the muzzle flash and the suspect standing. That's what they were returning fire at. A short time after they fired at the suspect, that's when there was an explosion there where the suspect was standing," Fletcher said.

Investigators told KMBC that they are looking for a person of interest. They identified him as Donin Wright, 62. He is about 300 pounds with gray and white hair.

Police cordoned off about a 1-mile radius around the burning homes. Officers patrolled the area on foot and in armored vehicles, and a police helicopter searched from the air.

Bannister Road was shut down at highway 71, which is causing traffic backups. Southbound highway 71 is slow in the area while traffic is being diverted.

Some Neighbors Evacuated

Officers evacuated people from several homes in the neighborhood by placing them in armored vehicles and driving residents from the scene. One woman who lived across the street told Antonia that she was watching TV when the ground shook.

"About 3:45 p.m. or 4 p.m., we were sitting there watching TV and you heard a big old "boom" and it rocked the complex. We looked out the back patio and you could see smoke and fire. We got into the truck and drove up. We got to 95th Street, going up to Grandview Road and (authorities) told us to get back. The fire trucks had just passed us and it took about 10 or 15 minutes before they got there. And all of sudden you heard gunshots. I mean rapid gunshots, like an AK-47 or something like that. They were telling everybody to get back and the police came in there and everybody was just running everywhere," neighbor Leslie Cole (pictured, left) said.

[alfa6]

Caught an interview with the Fire Chief and he stated that they had four fire trucks badly shot up and that all the tires were flattened. Also Chief Dwyer said that the fireman thought that they were under automatic weapons fire as well.

Johnny Rowlands caught the second explosion from the copter..pretty impresive.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Atlas Sneezed]

Fox 4 news is calling the man a gun collector.

---

In spite of my recent quibbles about several articles posted to the bang list not being adequately about firearms and gun politics, your comment just pushed this one over the threshold. Ready... Aim...

Bang!

[El Gato]

I think they will find his body in the rubble and the paramedic who was shot was hit by ammunition going off in the fire after the explosion

Unlikely, uncontained ammuntion goes off like a firecracker. The case fails first, often the bullet isn't even expelled, or if it is, it's with very little force.

[El Gato]

One person has indeed been shot so there must have been a shooter.

Well a round that was chambered could cook off, and then the bullet would be expelled, just as if the primer had been struck by the firing pin. A semi-auto handgun would probably jam at that point, but it might not. A semi-auto rifle would be less likely to jam, especially since most are gas not recoil operated. Any non shelf shucker would of course only fire the round that was in the chamber.

[El Gato]

Also Chief Dwyer said that the fireman thought that they were under automatic weapons fire as well.

The sound of automatic weapon fire may very well have been loose or boxed rounds cooking off, but the tires had to be deliberately shot out.

[Just another Joe]

I'm out of town on business but my daughter called and told me about this.
We're not that far from this scene (2 or 3 miles).
I told her to load the rifle and the shotgun, but not chamber a round, put them in the closets, and if someone tried to break in, use them.

I also told her to be damn sure that they were trying to break in before she used either one.

[kcpopps]

Still no major updates but it does seem to be confirmed that there was indeed a shooter at the scene. Tires flattened on fire truck, bullet holes in vehicles, plus policemen report that they saw a shooter firing at them from behind an outbuilding. They returned fire but the shooter apparently escaped on foot.

It's hard to imagine that the missing owner of the house could be physically able to elude capture - he is 62 years old and well over 300 lbs - but as of yet, there are no reports of him being found. That also does not seem to fit the profile of a meth house manufacturer.

The TV reports repeat the phrase that the homeowner was known to had a "cache of weapons". Not sure if their definition of cache is fair - may be. But early on, one anchor said the suspect had fled, was "armed and capable of great violence" - that might be true, but he definitely said that before any police statements were released. Seems to me that he made that assessment all by himself and prematurely.

Maybe we'll know more in the morning.

[Just another Joe]

What are you doing up so late, popps?

Ping me on anything you get on this.

[Drammach]

bttt