KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two people were found dead inside of a burning car Monday night in a residential area of northeast Kansas City.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department received 911 calls around 5 p.m. regarding both the sound of shots and a traffic crash in a scene located between the Pendleton Heights and South Indian Mound neighborhoods, a few miles east of Interstate 29 and south of the Missouri River, according to a police spokesperson.
Victor Melandez said he heard multiple gunshots on his way home. When he turned the corner, he saw a car engulfed in flames.
"There was a lot of people on the street, and I saw the car, which was on fire," Melandez said. "The neighbors were screaming there were two people in there."
NOW: police on scene investigating a double homicide near Norton and Anderson.
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) March 2, 2021
Neighbors tell me and @giovanniggarcia they heard gunshots, saw a car crash into the pole and then catch fire. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/YsNxDZCvWn
Investigators believe the two people found inside the car were first shot, which caused the driver to lose control and crash, leading to the fire.
Police are hoping to locate witnesses in the area to help piece together the sequence of events.
"A lot of people in this neighborhood will talk to detectives," Sgt. Jake Becchina, a KCPD spokesperson, said. "Those witness's accounts are really what help detectives give them that break they need to really hone in one who is responsible for this."
The victims would be the 24th and 25th in the city in 2021, which is a similar pace to a record-setting year in 2020 that saw 176 homicides in KCMO.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the 41 Action News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the 41 Action News Mug Shot Policy.
