RAYTOWN, Mo. — A Raytown pool hall where a man was shot and killed two years ago saw more gunfire Sunday morning.
"I’ve been here long enough to know that that place is not a big problem as people that come through here are," said Lewis Hurtt, owner of Shoe Master.
Hurtt, a cobbler, said being in the heart of downtown Raytown for almost 30 years is good for business.
But the location does attract all kinds of attention — especially at the pool hall across the street that's open 24/7.
"One time one fight broke out. But that's been I would say about five or six years ago a fight did break out over there, but Raytown police got here broke it up," Hurtt said.
Kendra Behrle, manager at Raytown Recreation Pool & Billiards, told KSHB 41 News they do try to keep patrons from getting out of hand.
"If I hear them arguing and it gets too loud, I go over, check it out, make sure everybody's okay," Behrle said. "And most of the time that'll calm everybody down. There have been a few occasions since that it hasn’t."
This is what they say happened Sunday morning when a group of 10 to 15 people came in. They didn't stay for long before stepping outside the business to argue.
"Once we could hear them, once they got loud enough to be heard downstairs, we told everybody that it was time to go," Behrle said.
That was followed by gunfire.
"All of a sudden we just hear it, wasn't even just normal guns, it was like firearms going off. I mean, the police officer said they found probably 40 or 50 shell casings, just like the first hour they were looking," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified fearing retaliation.
According to police, no one was injured and three people were taken into custody.
"Bars are closing at three and they're coming here to finish partying, and then they get all riled up and they start fighting," the neighbor said. "I don’t want the pool hall to close because I know it's like a treasure in Raytown, but if we can get it like closed so it's not 24/7."
The manager said they don't serve alcohol at the establishment. They do have staff that pat down patrons walking in to make sure they don't have any weapons on Friday and Saturday nights and are now considering instituting a closing time.
"We have discussed it — as of this morning even — it is something that we are considering if we have to," Behrle said. "But since the pool hall has been open since the 70s, it has not ever had a closing time.”
Hurtt said a closing time could help prevent incidents like Sunday's but —
"If they’re saying that Raytown is a place where crime is escalating this. No, I'm not going for that. I have to disagree with that," he said.
—
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 KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
