KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
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Lee's Summit police released a picture of a dark gray pickup truck believed to have been used by four suspects in a shooting Wednesday at a stoplight at Missouri 291 Highway and Chipman Road.
The four jumped out of the truck at a stoplight at the intersection and opened fire on two people in an SUV.
Police said the driver suffered six wounds, but is expected to recover.
The passenger suffered injuries from flying glass.
Lee's Summit police said the pickup truck is believed to be a 2015-2017 Ford F-150.
The truck had a California license plate with an obscene message.
The shooting was captured on dash cam video by a local driver with Star Transportation Midwest.
The driver who caught the shooting on camera spoke with KSHB 41 News on Thursday.
"It's basically like I watched an assassination attempt. And thankfully, it failed," said Paul Ontman.
He said it was a difficult to watch as the moment lingered in his mind over 24 hours later.
"Evil, pure evil. It looked like they were hunting that person," said Ontman.
While he said it didn’t seem like he was the target, it was frightening seeing the spray of bullets that could have injured or killed him and others.
"Not many times you're in that line of danger just as a regular person," said Ontman.
While the Lee's Summit Police Department didn't have many updates on the shooting, they agreed to an interview with KSHB 41.
"Unfortunately, there are stray bullets that had entered into the vehicles of other people, so I can't ever say that it's completely harmless," said Kelly Johnson, the public information officer with the department.
She said they don’t believe there’s an ongoing threat to the public, even as the four suspects remain at large.
"If you were to see the vehicle, please don't approach that vehicle and just call 911 or your local police department," Ontman said.
Johnson saying it’s early in the investigation, but time matters in cases like this.
"Having it on video, although that's a huge tool for us, it is a wake up call about just being vigilant about what's going on around us at all times," Johnson said.
As for Ontman, he said he will remember the shooting for the rest of his life.
"It's still just something you'd think it only happens in the movie just for the shock and awe factor in it. But when you see it in real life, you start to understand that there are just people out there that lead a life that is just pure evil,"
We’ll continue to follow this investigation and provide updates on the suspects when we receive them.
Anyone with information about the truck or the suspects should call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
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