Two brothers have been charged with murder in connection with a daylight shooting in Kansas City's Santa Fe neighborhood that left two 20-year-old men dead Tuesday.
Marques Smith, 20, and Marquan Smith, 18, each face two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful weapons use, charging documents filed in Jackson County Circuit Court show. They are accused of killing Leerick Kelley and Montez Mack.
Kansas City police officers were dispatched around 1 p.m. to the intersection of 28th Street and Prospect Avenue on a reported shooting. Both gunshot victims were found unresponsive, just west of the intersection. They were declared dead by responding medical personnel.
Witnesses told police the shooters were seen running east from the scene and jumping fences through backyards along Lockridge Avenue.
In charging documents filed Wednesday, Kansas City police say the elder Smith was seen running behind a residence in the 2900 block of Bales by a responding police officer. His younger brother, Marquan Smith, was later found running in the yard while holding an AR-style rifle, authorities allege.
Both were arrested near that residence.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video that showed the two gunshot victims walking on the east side of Prospect when they suddenly appeared to be startled, according to court documents.
One was seen returning fire with a handgun as they ran across the street. One was seen falling to the ground, and one was later found to be holding a grocery bag that contained diapers in his right hand, according to court documents.
Surveillance video also showed one of the shooters chase down and fire at the victims as they fled across Prospect Avenue. Both shooting suspects were then seen on video climbing a privacy fence in the 2600 block of Lockridge Avenue, according to court documents.
Crime scene investigators counted 30 shell casings that appeared to have been fired by the suspected shooters. Another five shell casings were believed to have come from the gun fired by one of the homicide victims, according to court documents.
During interviews at police headquarters, the younger Smith declined to speak with detectives after being advised of his rights. The elder brother, Marques Smith, allegedly said they had been dropped off from work at 29th Street and Indiana Avenue less than a minute before police officers were seen in the area.
Court records did not list a defense attorney for either Smith. Both were ordered to be held without bond in the Jackson County jail as of Wednesday.
