On the morning of June 12, 2022, a fatal shooting occurred at the Crown Lodge motel located at 8500 East Missouri 350 Highway in Kansas City, Missouri. The victim was identified as 48-year-old Thomas Floyd. The incident began in the early hours of Sunday when Floyd, who was a guest at the motel, was in the lobby area. According to a witness, the confrontation started when another man entered the lobby carrying a large can of beer.
The front desk clerk informed the man that alcohol was not permitted in the lobby, prompting him to leave the building and throw the empty can onto the ground outside.
Floyd reportedly confronted the man about littering, which escalated into a heated argument between the two. During the dispute, both Floyd and the clerk noticed that the man had a gun sticking out of his front pocket. Floyd told the individual that he should not be carrying a firearm while intoxicated. The man allegedly countered that he was a security guard and could carry the weapon wherever he chose. As the argument continued, the clerk instructed them to take the dispute outside. Floyd then called 911 to report a 'drunk individual with a gun.' Surveillance footage from the lobby showed the suspect swaying and appearing to struggle with his balance while an unholstered handgun was visible in his pocket.
Moments after Floyd stepped outside to call the police, shots were fired. Officers dispatched to the scene around 3:45 a.m. found Floyd in the lobby and common area suffering from gunshot wounds. He had reportedly collapsed in front of the doors after being shot. Emergency medical responders rendered aid and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The assailant fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
Investigators used video footage and motel records to identify the suspect. The alleged gunman had provided his photo ID and the license plate number for his pickup truck when he registered at the motel. The vehicle was identified as having a Kansas license plate. Police located the suspect the following morning; he was arrested as a passenger in a pickup truck where officers found the matching license plate in the truck's bed. He was subsequently held in the Jackson County jail pending charges. While the suspect was taken into custody and the case was handed over to homicide detectives, his specific name was not released in the initial public reports detailing the arrest.
