KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Independence man faces charges after gunfire broke out Monday night at Patio Restaurant & Lounge, located at 19700 E. Valley View Parkway in Independence.
Makai G. Kelly-James, 24, is charged with first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Independence police were called to the lounge around 8:45 p.m. Monday on reports of gunfire.
A Patio security guard told investigators Kelly-James was involved in a fight he was working to break up inside the club.
Security staff escorted Kelly-James outside, which is when the security guard said he saw Kelly-James retrieve a firearm from a vehicle.
The guard said Kelly-James then shot into the air and toward security staff, according to a court document.
The first guard and a second security guard returned fire in “self-defense.”
Per the court document, the first guard sustained a leg wound during the exchange but was able to tackle Kelly-James and disarm him in front of a nearby business, BD’s Mongolian Grill.
Two witnesses corroborated the security guard’s recollection of events, adding a woman inside her car was narrowly missed when gunfire went through her windshield.
Additional vehicles, the outside of the building and inside furnishings were damaged by gunfire.
In total, investigators recovered 75 shell casings from the scene, per court documents.
Investigators said the gun recovered from Kelly-James was reported stolen out of Kansas City and had been modified.
“The firearm exhibited erratic and dangerous discharge behavior, including firing multiple rounds without trigger reset and, at times, functioning in a fully automatic capacity,” court documents stated.
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a news release Kelly-James chose to open fire rather than “simply leaving the scene.” She made further comments on the modified, illegal firearm.
“Under Missouri law, machine guns and converted automatic weapons are prohibited because of their danger and unpredictability,” Johnson said. “Weapons like these have no place in Jackson County, and we will continue to prosecute those who use them to endanger our community.”
When Kelly-James was originally detained and escorted from the scene, he made “multiple spontaneous” statements from the back of the police vehicle, according to court documents.
“They just jumped me in the club and I started shooting back, bro,” Kelly-James allegedly said.
He also claimed he only shot out of “self-defense.”
Kelly-James is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on no bond.
Independence police are asking anyone with video of the incident to contact the IPD Gun Squad at 816-325-7330. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 816-474-8477.
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