On the night of February 29, 2020, a violent outburst in the Westport entertainment district of Kansas City, Missouri, claimed the life of 17-year-old Devin Harris. The male teenager was among a crowd in the popular nightlife area when a dispute that began inside a local club spilled out into the streets. Around 1:30 a.m., the disagreement escalated drastically as several individuals exited the venue and made their way to a parking garage.
Surveillance footage later reviewed by investigators showed specific individuals entering a white SUV and driving out of the garage before opening fire on a group of people involved in the earlier altercation.
The situation turned chaotic as the occupants of the white SUV, along with individuals in two other vehicles trailing them, unleashed a barrage of gunfire near 39th and Main Street. Devin Harris was struck by the bullets and tragically died from his injuries, while four other victims sustained non-life-threatening wounds during the ambush. Kansas City Police Department officers who were already in the vicinity witnessed the unfolding chaos and quickly moved to secure the scene. A responding officer spotted the white SUV, which was riddled with bullet holes, and was able to take one person into custody immediately following the shooting.
In the weeks that followed, a collaborative investigation involving Kansas City detectives and federal partners from the FBI utilized the surveillance video to identify additional suspects. Authorities determined that the shooters had targeted the group based on the conflict inside the club. By April 2020, prosecutors announced charges against four men in connection with the deadly incident. Lavont Carter and Christien Woody were charged with second-degree murder and other felonies for their alleged roles in firing from the SUV. Two other men, Devon Carter and Ernest Jones, faced charges of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon after being identified as occupants of the other vehicles involved in the shooting.
