Road rage incident escalates into shooting in Excelsior Springs, suspect arrested

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Missouri (September 12, 2024) – According to Excelsior Springs police, an incident of aggression culminated in a shooting Thursday afternoon. The altercation, which began in the Walmart parking lot, led to an arrest later in the day.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., two vehicles collided in the Walmart parking lot, causing minor damage to the mirrors of both cars. The driver of one vehicle left the scene, believing the damage was not serious. However, the suspect, driving a dark blue Chevrolet van with Ohio plates, became irate and pursued the other driver north on Highway 69.

“Sometime [the suspect] “He walked up to the side of the victim's vehicle and began firing his gun out the window,” said Excelsior Springs Police Lt. Ryan Dowdy. The suspect fired several shots from a 9mm handgun into the victim's vehicle near Schwartz Road and Highway 69, near the Excelsior Springs Animal Clinic. Although his car was damaged, the victim was not hit. After firing several shots, the suspect made an abrupt U-turn and the victim sped away from the scene.

Recognizing the van from previous encounters, officers quickly began a search. Using recently installed license plate reader (LPR) cameras, police captured images of the van, which had been spotted in the city in recent months.

The van was eventually located by Clay County Sheriff's officers in the parking lot of the Corner Kitchen and General Store (26017 County Road RA, Kearney, MO) near Watkins Mill State Park, where the suspect surrendered peacefully. Although he initially denied any involvement, the suspect later confessed to the shooting and allowed officers to search his vehicle. The weapon used in the incident was recovered.

The suspect remains in custody and is expected to be charged on Friday.

“We're just happy that we got him safely into custody and that no one was seriously injured or killed,” Dowdy added.