Rolling gun battle kills woman driving kids in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Six children were seriously hurt and a woman was killed after they got caught up in the middle of a rolling gun battle between two other cars, CBS affiliate KCTV reports.
It started shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.
A family who happened to be driving by got caught up in the gunfire. Police say one of the two cars shooting at each other hit the woman's car, causing her to crash.
Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte said the woman killed was thrown from her vehicle because of how violent the impact was. Debris, including a car bumper, a soccer ball and children's shoes, littered the roadway. A car even knocked down a traffic light.
The six children were critically hurt and rushed to Children's Mercy Hospital. They were expected to survive. A person in one of the vehicles exchanging gunfire was also taken to the hospital in critical condition. The patient was expected to be released from hospital Wednesday.
Kansas City police gave chase to one of the suspects' vehicles that made its way into Kansas City, Kansas. The pursuit ended about 45 minutes later when police deployed a tire deflation device. One person was taken into custody.
"It hurts my heart. I mean, it's really not safe out here right now," Vanisha Welchen, who lives in that area and heard the end of the chase, told KCTV.
Sgt. Kari Thompson with the Kansas City Police Department in Missouri said the incident is the latest example of innocent people becoming victims in senseless violence in Kansas City.
"Mothers are burying their children. Grandmothers are burying their grandchildren. This is not right," Thompson told KCTV.
She said efforts to curb crime rest with everyone.
"Every life matters, whether you live south of the river, north of the river," said Thompson. "If you are living in Kansas City, the urban core is your community. Let's not turn a blind eye to this area. Let's all come together and find out what we can do to make this stop."