KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man faces murder and other charges in a June 12 incident in Independence where a man was shot to death, a woman was shot and critically wounded, and a juvenile was also shot.
Robert Cordato is charged in Jackson County Court with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, first-degree assault, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of first-degree assault and four counts of armed criminal action.
Cordato was identified as the suspect in the triple shooting in the 1500 block of South Brookside Avenue in Independence.
Police arrested Cordato the next day in Blue Summit, according to IPD.
Detectives found nearly four grams of methamphetamine during a search of Cordato.
When detectives initially tried to interview Cordato about what happened Thursday, he asked for an attorney.
But while he was in the detention lobby, he asked, "So I'm being charged with two first-degree counts of murder?"
Detectives said they had not revealed how many victims there were at that time, per court documents.
The juvenile victim, who was shot three times but is recovering, spoke with detectives about what the incident.
She said Cordato, her cousin, entered the home on June 12 through the side door while wearing a gas mask and holding a gun.
After entering, she said he kept asking, "Where's Rob?"
The juvenile said the woman victim told Cordato that children were present while the man victim came upstairs.
Once upstairs, Cordato shot the man, and the woman and juvenile worked to move all children, five kids between the ages of 7 months and 9 years, to a back bedroom.
The juvenile recalled attempting to hold the door shut before Cordato barged in and shot her and the woman, court documents stated.
An Independence Police Department news release on Monday identified the man killed by gunfire as Robert Smith, Jr., of Independence.
The woman shot remains in critical condition.
According to court documents, Cordato's criminal history includes arrests or arrests with convictions for first-degree tampering, second-degree murder, armed criminal action, aiding the escape of a prisoner, unlawful use of a weapon, possession of stolen property, driving while intoxicated, second-degree burglary, domestic assault, resisting arrest, first-degree domestic assault and property damage.
Cordato is in custody on a $750,000 cash-only bond.
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