In the late evening of a Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri, 57-year-old Cleveland Wright was driving with his wife, completing grocery delivery orders. Their Honda Civic was near the intersection of Northeast Chouteau Trafficway and Gardner Avenue at approximately 8:30 p.m. when an encounter with another vehicle turned fatal. The other car, a Chevrolet Trax, driven by 20-year-old Laken Logan, allegedly began driving aggressively, speeding up and cutting off Wright's vehicle.
The situation
escalated when Logan, angered by what he perceived as being cut off, followed the Honda. A passenger in Logan's car later told police that Logan was visibly angry and, despite being told to 'chill,' pulled up alongside Wright's car. Words were exchanged, with Logan reportedly yelling at Wright. Wright's wife saw her husband reach for what she believed was his firearm, and shortly after, several gunshots rang out from Logan's vehicle.
Struck by the gunfire, Cleveland Wright began bleeding heavily and crashed their car into a median. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators found a handgun on the floorboard of Wright's car, which had a live round in the chamber but had not been fired.
In the days that followed, police used traffic camera footage and vehicle tracking data to identify Logan's Chevrolet Trax. He was arrested and, according to police, confessed to the shooting, stating, 'I killed a man that did not deserve it.' Logan claimed he became scared after seeing Wright reach for a gun and fired multiple shots. He has since been charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.
