Raytown man allegedly fired gunshots into Kansas City home, narrowly missing toddler

A 34-year-old man is charged with three felonies for allegedly firing a volley of gunshots into a home in Kansas City’s Foxtown East neighborhood, narrowly missing a 2-year-old who was seated in a high-chair.

Jackson County prosecutors last week charged Jerod W. Brillhart, of Raytown, with unlawful weapon use, armed criminal action and endangering the welfare of a child.

The shooting unfolded around 9 a.m. on Jan. 22. Kansas City police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 3800 block of East 67th Terrace on reports of the sound of gunfire.

After arriving at the scene, police officers were met by a woman who said she was feeding her son and left him unattended in the kitchen high-chair for a moment to get fresh clothes for him. Then she heard about five gunshots, she said, as she ran back toward the kitchen to bring her son to a back room.

Afterward, she said, she found bullet damage to her bathroom door and front-room ceiling.

Detectives spoke with witnesses, including a man who had been out pouring salt to melt the snow on the ground that morning. The detectives were told of a white Jeep that had been seen driving down the block at the time of the gunfire.

Surveillance cameras led police to a rental car in Brillhart’s and his mother’s name. It was towed from a Raytown driveway where he resided, according to court documents.

Brillhart was not initially suspected as the shooter, according to court documents. But another witness later came forward to police saying Brillhart had described the shooting to her. He also was allegedly contacted by the witness over speakerphone and discussed the shooting in the presence of detectives, according to court documents.

In charging documents, detectives wrote that they were told by a witness that Brillhart may have been hired by someone to do the drive-by shooting with the intention of killing another resident of the home.

On Feb. 7, Brillhart sat down with detectives at Kansas City police headquarters for an interview. He allegedly admitted to renting the white Jeep that police suspected as being involved in the shooting but denied being involved in the shooting.

As of Tuesday, court documents did not list a defense attorney for Brillhart. He was being held in the Jackson County jail.