by Mary Wilson
During a
press conference this afternoon, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker
announced charges against Mohammed Whitaker, 27, a Grandview resident, for the
recent shootings on Kansas City’s interstates.
“Today is
such a good day, I’m so pleased to announce charges against this defendant for
these horrible acts,” said Baker.
Whittaker
has been charged with eighteen different federal charges. Two of the charges
are “A” felony charges for shooting into a motor vehicle, seven “B” felony
charges, also for shooting into a motor vehicle, and nine separate counts of
armed criminal action. According to court records, the 12 incidents occurred on Kansas City area
highways. Ballistics tests connected .380 caliber bullets recovered from those
shooting incidents and witness reports of the shooting incidents linked a
vehicle similar to Whitaker’s to those shootings. Surveillance of Whitaker in
his vehicle found him pacing cars in their blind spots while on the highway.
“This has
impacted all of us, across state lines and across the river,” said Baker. “This
case represents teamwork and good solid police work.”
On April 3,
2014, the Kansas City Police began connecting four different cases of shootings
on the metro highways. On Monday, April 7, the department began their first
formal briefing, and within ten days had the suspect in custody, according to
KCPD Chief Darryl Forte.
Investigators
received over one hundred leads in the case, and are still receiving further
leads today. Forte said that the department controlled the release of
information to protect the citizens in the community, as well as to not impact
the investigation.
