KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four people were taken into custody in connection with a Craigslist car sale that ended in gunfire Wednesday outside an apartment complex just south of Swope Park, according to Kansas City Missouri Police Captain Tye Grant. Their names have not been released pending charges.
Authorities want to know if a similar Craigslist-related crime that happened hours before a couple was shot involves the same suspects.
Police say the victims are lucky. They were shot and robbed while trying to buy a car they saw on Craigslist for their son. Police say around 7:30 Wednesday, July 16, the couple from Liberty and their 16-year-old son met a guy at an apartment on East 84th Terrace in south Kansas City.
The husband and wife wanted to buy a 2007 Sonata they saw advertised on Craigslist. Investigators say while showing the vehicle to the couple, the man went inside the apartment and made a phone call.
Within moments, police say two men came out to rob the couple. One of the robbers shot the husband four times. His wife was hit in her arm and their son wasn’t hurt.
“That’s very unfortunate. It happened right here, you know, right here in my neighborhood, so it makes me feel a little bit unsafe,” one neighbor said.
Police say the husband shielded his wife and son during the shooting. Investigators say the three robbers stole the woman’s purse, which reportedly contained $3,000, and the couple’s car. Officers later found the stolen vehicle several blocks away near KCPD’s East Patrol Station.
Police are checking to see if the robbers are the same men, who about three hours before the double-shooting, met a man on East 88th Terrace. In that instance, when the victim handed one man an X-Box he listed for sale on Craigslist, two other guys armed with black handguns approached the seller from behind.
Investigators say the thieves stole the X-Box and accessories and then ran into some woods. That Craigslist seller wasn’t hurt.
“If something doesn’t feel right, use your gut, trust your instincts,” said Sgt. Kari Thompson with KCPD.
As a result of the two Craigslist-related crimes, police are reminding anyone who buys or sells items online to be careful.
“You need to meet in a public place. Meet at a store, meet at the police station, but meet where there, you know lots of people. You definitely also do not want to bring cash,” Sgt. Thompson said.
Police say the couple’s injuries are not life-threatening. Anyone who knows anything about those two armed robberies should call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
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