KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in a fatal February shooting near the Kansas City VA Medical Center.
Tyler Parris, 29, is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon (shoot at/from motor vehicle at person, motor vehicle or building, resulting in death or injury), and two counts of armed criminal action.
Kansas City, Missouri, police were contacted around 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 16 by VA medical staff of a shooting victim who had arrived at their location.
The victim, 46-year-old Richard Ennis, did not survive his injuries.
The shooting occurred near the VA hospital in the 2900 block of Brighton Avenue
Parris and his girlfriend allegedly drove to Ennis' residence.
One witness, a male, told police he had met Parris earlier in the day at a hotel.
When Parris arrived at the residence, the witness walked over to the passenger side of the truck, where the girlfriend was sitting. Parris, who was in the driver's seat, allegedly confronted him about a device used to program keys to steal vehicles, per a court document.
After claiming he was not a thief, the male witness said Parris asked to speak with the female witness, who lived with Ennis.
When he went inside to tell her, Ennis walked outside and said, “If Parris had something to say to [redacted], he could say it to him,” per the court document.
Days earlier, the female witness claimed Parris stole her truck. She found it at his cousin's house and towed it back to her residence.
Parris and Ennis then began arguing.
The male witness told the female witness he “didn’t have a good feeling” about the direction of the argument, mentioning he was sure “bullets were about to fly."
Shortly after the two went inside, gunshots were fired.
Both then helped Ennis into a vehicle and drove him to the VA hospital.
Parris fled the scene with his girlfriend.
The next week, on Feb. 24, the girlfriend was taken into custody on an unrelated charge with Parris.
Parris was then transported to police headquarters for questioning, where he asked for an attorney.
He is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $200,000, cash-only bond.
Police mentioned in the probable cause statement in this case that Parris is mentioned in multiple entries as a suspect in stolen auto reports.
The detention center website notes Parris also has a $10,000, cash-only bond for a failure to appear warrant, and he has an additional hold with no bond for the Western Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center.
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