OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A man in his 70s opened fire Sunday outside of a Jewish community center and nearby retirement community, killing three people, authorities said.
Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass said at a news conference Sunday evening that a person who had been reported to be in critical condition earlier was among three killed in the attacks, which apparently occurred minutes apart.
"Today is a sad and very tragic day," Douglass said. "As you might imagine we are only three hours into this investigation. There's a lot of innuendo and a lot of assertions going around. There is really very little hardcore information."
Shots were fired behind the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in a parking lot about 1 p.m., Douglass said. One male died at the scene, another male died at a hospital. The gunman then fled and opened fire at nearby Village Shalom, killing a female, before later being arrested near an elementary school. Two other people were shot at, but the gunfire missed them, Douglass said.
Douglass said it was too early in the investigation to determine if the shootings were hate crimes. The Jewish festival of Passover begins Monday.
"We know it was a vicious act of violence, and we know obviously it was at two Jewish facilities. One might make that assumption," Douglass said. View gallery Kansas State Troopers stand outside a police line near … Kansas State Troopers stand outside a police line near the location of a shooting at the Jewish Comm …
He described the suspect as a white man in his 70s who is not from Kansas. He said the suspect is being held at the Johnson County Detention Center, but did not provide further information.
"We have no indication he knew the victims," Douglass said, adding that the suspect was not known to Kansas City-area authorities before the shootings. Douglass said a shotgun was used, and investigators were trying to determine whether a handgun and assault-style rifle also were involved.
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Overland Park posted on its Facebook page Sunday afternoon that a "shooting incident" happened near its White Theater entrance.
"Everyone participating in JCC programming has been released to their homes," the center posted later Sunday.
There was a heavy police presence at the campus, which spans several acres in an affluent area of Johnson County, Kan. Police had also taped off the entrance to Village Shalom on Sunday afternoon, and several patrol cars and a crime scene unit van were parked in front.
St. Louis resident Kristy Straeb, 47, said her sister-in-law Stacie Ventimiglia was at the center's pool with a friend and four little girls under the age of 7 for a swimming lesson, which ended about 12:45 p.m. Straeb said they decided at the last minute to get the girls showered.
"They had just gotten the four babies naked, and somebody yelled into the family locker room, 'We have an active shooter situation. You need to get safe,'" Straeb said.
The women got into a cubby area and were "ready to push the little girls into 4 empty lockers," Straeb said. She noted that the women and their children were not harmed and left the center about 2:45 p.m. Sunday.
Auditions for the KC SuperStar competition were scheduled to be held Sunday at the Jewish Community Center. On Sunday afternoon, the website for KC SuperStar, which is a singing competition for high school students, said the auditions were cancelled.
Poster Comment:
[Mary S] Oh, Jesus, I was shopping just a couple of blocks away from there last night (down that way all the time)!! This a week after the series about the heroin epidemic featured an interview w/ a doctor I used to work w/ at the hospital where I used to work in OH. Turns out that the man and his son who were killed in the parking lot at the community center were METHODISTS; members of my daughter's best friend's church. Why was there NOTHING on here about the nut who is shooting at cars on certain sections of the greater KC freeways?? My husband who still lives in OH was the first to tell me; my daughter assumed I already knew. +12-6
[Betty O'neal] The country's gone crazy. All the trashy behavior on TV that's considered cool, violent lyrics in every other song, graphic violence in movies and TV, the breakdown of the family with kids getting little parental guidance. Schools do their best, but many of them are in trouble too; teachers can't be expected to deal with neglected kids, disturbed kids, violent kids, and kids that don't speak English. But they get the brunt of it along with law enforcement who are accused of brutality by any and every criminal. Schools and cops and families are all endangered by people who are high on narcotics. People are without work or taxed to death or have mountains of medical bills, education bills, or taxes. We are told to be tolerant, but that's out of control too. Must we tolerate anything and everything? Then if someone wants tolerance for being Christian, or straight, or even wealthy then you become a target. So what's the answer? God only knows. Literally.+20-7
JoeFor being a small minority (less than 1% in the whole world), I notice Jews sure seem to have a lot of representation in these forums. +1-1
Gary Owen Just one more loser on the road of life who decided to Murder due to his ignorance. Some said he yelled Heil Hitler as he drove and shot making it possible he is another nazi loser. +6-1