In January 2020, a young life was tragically cut short in Kansas City, Missouri, following a dispute that escalated to gunfire. DeAndre Chiney, a 21-year-old male, was shot and killed outside an apartment in the 2000 block of Wheeling Avenue. The violent encounter also resulted in a 5-month-old infant sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg. First responders rushed Chiney to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The infant, whose injuries were not life-threatening, was taken to the hospital by private vehicle before police arrived and was expected to be released within a few days.
The events leading to the fatal shooting reportedly began with an argument between Chiney and the mother of his infant child. Following the disagreement, a 21-year-old man named Nicholas A. James, accompanied by four other individuals, went to Chiney's residence to get the baby. An exchange of words at the doorway between James and Chiney quickly turned violent. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing gunshots and seeing James shoot Chiney. After the initial shots, James allegedly entered the residence and emerged with the baby. It was then discovered that the infant had been wounded in the leg.
Following an investigation into the shooting, police identified Nicholas A. James as a person of interest and arrested him the next day. During a police interview, after being informed that the incident was captured on surveillance video, James confessed to shooting DeAndre Chiney. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office charged James with second-degree murder, assault, two counts of armed criminal action, and endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors requested a bond of $500,000.
