KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crime scene tape isn’t what you’re used to seeing on the Country Club Plaza. On Tuesday morning, it was the scene of Kansas City’s latest homicide.
Kansas City Police said a man died after a shooting inside the lobby of the Sheraton Suites hotel. A suspect is in custody.
“He was acting real nervous, real fidgety,” said Harvey Anderson, who’s staying at the hotel.
Moments before shots rang out at the hotel, Anderson said he had a quick conversation with the suspected shooter.
“He was sitting at the bar with a young kid and another gentlemen, and when I walked toward them, he said something to me. And I’m like, ‘What?’ and he looked at my free passes and said, ‘I don’t want that,'” Anderson said. “I said, ‘I’m not trying to give it to you,’ and he said, ‘Well can you not stand behind me?’”
Anderson said the man apologized and was complaining about his room key not working.
He said after that, the suspected shooter, the man he was with and kid walked to an elevator in the lobby.
“And I heard four gunshots,” Anderson said. “We didn’t know what was going on, if it was somebody just shooting up everybody.”
Anderson said everyone in the hotel started screaming and running around. Many of them afraid of the unknown.
“When you call down and the operator at the hotel is telling you that the building is not secure, do not go out of your room, don’t make noise, don’t call anyone — that’s pretty scary,” said Mike Weinberger, another hotel guest. “That’s pretty tough stuff.”
People staying at the hotel had to remain in their rooms for some time or weren’t allowed inside until the scene was clear.
Police said this wasn’t an active shooter situation; it happened because of an argument between the two men.
“You hear about this, but I’ve never witnessed it,” Anderson said.