On March 20, 2017, Marquis Clark, a 33-year-old African American male from Kansas City, Missouri, was fatally shot during a violent altercation inside a minivan. Clark, a father and former track athlete who had attended Ruskin High School, was traveling with four other individuals near Blue Parkway and Bennington Avenue in Kansas City. The group was reportedly engaged in a freestyle rap battle when the friendly exchange escalated into a heated argument between Clark and another passenger.
According to witness accounts provided to investigators, the dispute intensified when Clark allegedly slapped the hand of 30-year-old Robert 'Jerell' Townsend. Following this physical contact, Townsend reportedly drew a firearm and began shooting inside the crowded vehicle. The driver of the minivan lost control, causing the vehicle to careen off the road and crash into a wooded ditch. Officers arriving at the scene discovered Clark and another passenger, 37-year-old Shakeisha D. Urassa, deceased inside the van from gunshot wounds. Another male passenger had been shot in the abdomen but managed to flee to a nearby motel to seek help, informing police that 'everyone was dead' inside the vehicle.
Law enforcement located Robert Townsend nearby, reportedly nude except for his socks and appearing to be under the influence of PCP. When approached by police, Townsend allegedly balled his fists and flexed his muscles before being taken into custody. During questioning, Townsend admitted to being in the vehicle and firing his weapon, claiming he did so because he 'heard shots,' though investigators found no evidence that shots had been fired from outside the van. Jackson County prosecutors subsequently charged Townsend with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, and three counts of armed criminal action in connection with the deaths of Clark and Urassa.
