KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The FBI has joined a multi-agency search for a suspect accused of carrying out a series of highway shootings in the Kansas City area that left one person dead and four others injured, as authorities continued a manhunt on Saturday for a man they described as armed and dangerous.
Kansas City police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez-Munoz and said investigators believe he was responsible for multiple shootings that occurred within a short period on June 16 along Interstates 70 and 670 and nearby roadways. Police said the incidents unfolded over roughly 30 minutes and involved vehicles being fired upon while in motion.
According to police, one man was killed after suffering a gunshot wound and crashing his vehicle. Four other people were injured, including an Uber driver transporting soccer fans to a FIFA World Cup match in Kansas City. Authorities said the driver suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and that his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Investigators said the shootings were reported at several locations, including stretches of Interstate 70 and Interstate 670. Kansas City police have said they believe the attacks are connected and were carried out by a single suspect.
Police traced Sanchez-Munoz to a residence in nearby Independence, Missouri, shortly after the shootings, prompting a standoff involving local and federal law enforcement. During the operation, a fire broke out at the property. When officers later entered the home, they did not find the suspect, authorities said.
“We are hot on the trail of this subject and we want to make sure that he's taken into custody as soon as possible,” Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said during a news conference.
The FBI’s Kansas City field office has joined local agencies in the search effort, according to law enforcement officials. Authorities have not released details about the suspect’s possible motive, and investigators said there is no indication the shootings were linked to the World Cup match being held in the city.
The shootings occurred as Kansas City hosted international visitors for the tournament and less than two weeks after a separate shooting incident elsewhere in the metropolitan area injured several people, according to local authorities and media reports.
As of Saturday, Sanchez-Munoz remained at large. Police urged residents not to approach him and to contact law enforcement immediately with any information regarding his whereabouts. Authorities said the investigation remains active and additional details remain unclear.
