Man fatally shot while shielding his mother from gunfire; 19-year-old charged

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) - Prosecutors in Missouri say a 19-year-old man is charged with the murder of a man who was fatally shot while shielding his mother from gunfire.

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced Tuesday that 19-year-old Ke’Montae Phillips faces second-degree murder and armed criminal action charges following the fatal shooting of his sister’s ex-boyfriend.

What happened

The Kansas City Police Department says the incident happened just before 5:50 p.m. last Tuesday. Officers called to the scene found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Court records indicate the victim’s mother told investigators she had asked her son to walk and meet her near the area. When he arrived, he was visibly frightened.

“They are following me,” he told her, according to court documents.

Moments later, prosecutors say Phillips - the brother of the victim’s ex-girlfriend - stepped out of a white sedan and approached them on foot. Armed with an automatic rifle-style firearm, he allegedly opened fire on both the victim and his mother.

The mother told investigators that her son shielded her from the gunfire as they ran. The two fled into a nearby field, where she realized her son had been shot. She said she began performing CPR as neighbors came outside - some to watch, others to help.

Investigators noted they recovered 35 spent shell casings at the scene. Multiple witnesses gave similar accounts.

How investigators identified Phillips

Police indicated surveillance video from the city and dash cameras captured the shooting. They also used automated license plate readers to track the sedan seen in the area before and after the shooting.

Court records show the vehicle made a series of unusual movements in the neighborhood in the minutes before the shooting, circling the area and appearing to track the victim and his mother as they walked.

Investigators say the vehicle returned to a nearby apartment complex roughly 20 minutes after the shooting. Two men in the same clothing seen earlier were captured on camera entering the building.

The motive

The victim’s mother told investigators she believed her son had an ongoing dispute with Phillips, stemming from the end of the victim’s relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

Court records indicate that the conflict had escalated in the week before the shooting, when Phillips allegedly confronted the victim and his mother during a separate encounter.

Where things stand

Phillips remained jailed on a $250,000 cash-only bond, as of Tuesday.

A bond review hearing has been scheduled for next Wednesday with a preliminary hearing expected April 15.