Witnesses recall ‘terrifying’ Halloween party shooting in Kansas City, Kansas

Maya Daley and her roommate, Kayleen Sherrin, didn’t sleep at all on Halloween night.

They couldn’t. Not after having the most terrifying experience of their lives.

Ready to celebrate, the two headed out to a costume party at 9 p.m. Monday. But in a matter of minutes, they went from chatting with friends to ducking for cover and assisting victims of a shooting that killed one 17-year old male and left six other teens injured.

Shortly after they arrived at the party in the 1600 block of South 50th Street in Kansas City, Kansas, the two said they headed to the home’s backyard, where most of the party attendees were gathered.

‘Then you hear screaming and scattering’

That’s when the two said they heard several loud booms coming from in front of the house.

Fireworks, Sherrin thought.

“Everything was fine, then you hear screaming and scattering and running,” Sherrin said.

That’s when they realized the party had come under fire.

Daley, 18, and Sherrin, 20, lost each other in the chaos.

The 70-100 attendees, mostly younger teens between 14-16 years old, were all speeding past in a flurry of fear and confusion. Daley sprinted to hide behind the house. Sherrin ducked behind a car, where she said she saw a gray SUV speed off into the night.

While Daley was hiding, she said a boy ran past her, screaming he’d been shot. A certified nurse assistant, Daley grabbed him and began to administer first aid. He’d been hit in his side, and Daley said he was badly injured. His pulse was faint.

“I took him inside, and I told him to lay down and show me where the wound is so that I could apply pressure,” Daley said.

While waiting for EMS to arrive, Daley said she felt strangely focused.

“I work at a hospital. I see this a lot. So, I was very calm during this,” she said. “I just wanted to help as many people as I could.”

A couple others brought a girl to Daley who’d been shot in the arm. Busy attending to one victim, she coached others to help her. Police arrived on the scene fairly quickly, Daley said, but paramedics were still on their way.

Meanwhile, Sherrin heard the sirens pulling onto the street, jumped out from her hiding place and sprinted to Daley’s car.

‘It was very scary’

Megan Webb, a next-door neighbor, was at home with a friend when she said she heard dozens of rounds of gunshots. The once giggling crowd erupted in screams.

When they saw a teen standing outside with an injured arm, her friend rushed to help.

“It was very scary,” Webb said. “People need to stop the gun violence. It’s horrible.”

After nearly 15 minutes, emergency personnel arrived and performed CPR on the victim Daley was helping. She’s unsure whether the person she helped is the one who died on the scene.

According to the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, seven victims were shot. One died. The other six, who range from 15 to 18 years old, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Five were still hospitalized Tuesday afternoon.

Police have not named any of the victims.

Turner Unified School District Superintendent Jason Dandoy called it a tragic situation, and confirmed at least one of the victims was a Turner High School student. He added they “suspect there were others there from our school. It sounds like a pretty widely attended event with a lot of young people.”

A statement sent to parents read in part, “Turner USD extends its deepest sympathy to family members and friends of our students during this very difficult time.”

The school district said their mental health team has already begun meeting with those grieving, and were on-site when students returned to class Wednesday. Teachers at the school had a professional development day on Tuesday. The school system said they also had additional police presence at the high school.

None of the witnesses The Star spoke with said they saw the suspects, but police announced Tuesday morning they were searching for four to six suspects.

Police said the suspects had been asked to leave the party by the homeowner because they were obviously older, and that they complied without a fight. But police said the suspects, who were in costume and wearing masks, then returned and opened fire.

One in custody

Tuesday afternoon, police announced one person of interest is in custody.

The case is still under investigation, and those with information are encouraged to come forward by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Sherrin and Daley aren’t sure why this happened.

They’re left to wonder why anyone would open fire on a group of young people enjoying what should have been a night of fun at a Halloween costume party.

While they said the party was advertised on Snapchat, they pointed out it was invitation-only and a flier was required for entry. Police said the homeowner had hosted the same party for teens in previous years without issue, and was at the party.

Police said they have no information that leads detectives to believe the shooting was gang-related.

Once Sherrin and Daley got home, they said the realization of what they’d just experienced hit them. They cried, they talked and they spent the rest of the night wide awake. They’ve checked in with their friends, and were relieved to hear they’re okay. One friend told them he took a victim to the hospital who’d been shot in the leg.

But now, despite feeling grateful they’re alive, Sherrin and Daley both said they no longer feel safe in their own community.

“Gun violence is a real problem,” Daley said. “We’re not gonna go to parties anymore, especially after this.”