KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Law enforcement authorities were continuing a multi-agency search on Friday for a suspect accused of carrying out a series of shootings across the Kansas City area that left one person dead and four others injured earlier this week, according to police.
Kansas City police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez-Munoz and said he should be considered armed and dangerous. Investigators believe the shootings occurred within a roughly 30-minute period on Tuesday evening at multiple locations along Interstate 70, Interstate 670 and nearby roads. Police said the incidents appeared to be connected and involved vehicles that were fired upon while traveling.
According to authorities, four people were wounded in the shootings, including an Uber driver who was transporting soccer fans to a FIFA World Cup match in Kansas City. A fifth victim, a motorist who later crashed into a utility pole, died after suffering a gunshot wound, police said.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said investigators had pursued leads that took officers to a residence in nearby Independence, Missouri, where a standoff occurred. A fire broke out at the property during the operation, but officers later determined the suspect was not inside.
“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,” Graves told reporters.
Authorities said there was no indication that the shootings were connected to the World Cup match or the tournament itself, despite one of the victims being an Uber driver carrying fans to the game. Witnesses interviewed by media outlets described a vehicle pulling alongside the Uber and opening fire, injuring the driver.
Police have also linked Sanchez-Munoz to a separate shooting investigation in neighboring Kansas City, Kansas, according to local authorities. Details surrounding a possible motive in the Kansas City shooting spree remain unclear, and investigators have not publicly disclosed what may have prompted the attacks.
As of Friday, the suspect remained at large. Police urged anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact emergency services immediately and warned members of the public not to approach him. The investigation remains ongoing.
