Kansas City shootings 2014 - a gunman has opened fire two Jewish sites in suburban Kansas City Sunday. Three people were reportedly dead due to the incident while many others were left shocked in the peaceful community, USA TODAY reported April 13.
According to the Kansas City shootings 2014 report, the shotgun-wielding man was arrested shortly by authorities. His name has not been released by the police yet and the identities of the victims are yet to be disclosed all the same.
The Kansas City shootings 2014 incident happened at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, a community nestled at Overland Park and at Village Shalom, which is a retirement home nearby.
"We're investigating it as a hate crime. We're investigating it as a murder," Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass said at a news conference the same day.
"Today is a sad and very tragic day," Douglass added. "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."
According to USNews, the Kansas City shootings 2014 incident happened in a parking lot at around 1p.m. and on male reportedly died at the scene. Another male victim was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead minutes after arrival.
The gunman of the Kansas City shooting allegedly fled and opened fire at the nearby Village Shalom, which led to the death of the third victim, a female.
Local reports state the gunman was arrested near an elementary school, adding that two people were also shot, but the gunfire missed them.
Douglass said that it isn't clear yet if the Kansas City shootings 2014 were hate crimes since the Jewish festival of Passover is to begin 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," he added.
The gunman was described by authorities as a white man who is most likely in his 70s and is not from Kansas City. He is currently being detained at the Johnson County Detention Center.
President Obama, who was informed about the Kansas City shootings 2014, said that they were "horrific."
The President of the US also said that he is staying in close contact with federal, state and local law enforcement authorities to provide additional resources whenever needed. "While we do not know all of the details surrounding today's shooting, the initial reports are heartbreaking," he said in a statement.
Additionally, many were reportedly shocked because of the Kansas City shootings since they took place near the community centers where hundreds of high school singers flocked from across the metro area to audition for the KC SuperStar singing scholarship contest, The Kansas City Star reported.
The community center wrote on its Facebook page its condolences to the families and friends of the victims and reiterated that no shots were fired inside the community center. Nevertheless, it is scheduled to be closed on Monday.
