Neighbors describe hearing gunshots before Kansas City, Kansas, police officer killed armed 19-year-old

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A 19-year-old armed man is dead after a police shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, on Ohio Avenue.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says officers found 19-year-old Leonel Lozoya-Espara armed with a gun after responding to a shots-fired call.

According to the KBI, KCKPD officers gave verbal commands ordering Lozoya-Espara to drop the weapon, but he did not comply. Officers say he turned toward them while holding the gun. That is when police shot him.

No law enforcement officers were injured.

The KBI is looking into what led up to the shooting.

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Neighbors say the area was crowded the night of the shooting.

One of those neighbors, Patty Westfall, lives on the 500 block of Ohio Avenue, where the shooting happened. She says she heard gunshots early Sunday morning.

"I was in the kitchen working, and I heard about eight shots, and I knew they were close," Westfall said.

Westfall, who did not want to show her face for safety reasons, described the scene before the shooting.

"This was like kids everywhere, cars going, cars coming and going, gangs of kids walking around," Westfall said.

She estimated the size of the crowd that had gathered.

"I bet 100 or more kids just everywhere," Westfall said.

Another neighbor shared home security video with me. You can hear engines revving and people running into the street. That neighbor said attention needs to be brought to all the gun violence happening with teens.

As for Westfall, she hopes the incident was isolated.

"I think it's an isolated event. It happened, and hopefully it doesn't happen again," Westfall said.

The KBI will handle the investigation, and any findings will be presented to the Wyandotte County District Attorney for review.

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