Kansas City, Missouri – On Monday, in the Jackson County Circuit Court, 33-year-old Justyn T. Reedus faced charges of second-degree murder along with three other criminal counts. These charges stem from his arrest in May following accusations that he shot and killed a man in Kansas City. Court documents reveal that on the night of the tragic incident, shortly before midnight, Kansas City Police were called to the 600 block of East 110th Terrace, close to Holmes Road, after reports of gunfire were heard.
When police arrived, they discovered 23-year-old Ja’carious McKissic in the front yard of a nearby house, suffering from gunshot wounds. McKissic was quickly transported to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, as confirmed by the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD).
Investigation efforts by detectives began at the scene soon after, where the situation was classified as a homicide. The court records indicated that investigators found six shell casings near the front porch, two firearms inside the home, and a cellphone near McKissic’s body.
Witness testimonies provided further insights into the events leading up to the shooting. According to one witness, McKissic and Reedus had an argument inside the house. The situation escalated when Reedus confronted McKissic aggressively, pushing the confrontation outside onto the porch. It was there that Reedus allegedly drew a gun and fired at McKissic.
Read also: One person dead in four-vehicle crash in Kansas City Saturday night, traffic fatalities on the rise
In another statement, a different witness described how the confrontation between McKinnis and Reedus escalated on the front porch. This witness attempted to intervene and separate the two during their heated exchange but witnessed Reedus shove McKinnis off the porch and shoot him five times before fleeing the scene.
Both witnesses subsequently identified Reedus as the shooter when shown his photographs by police. The investigation deepened when the first witness provided detectives with video doorbell footage from the incident night. The video captured the argument on the porch, showing Reedus drawing a gun, pushing McKinnis off the porch, and then shooting him multiple times.
The video evidence corroborated the witness accounts. On June 7, Reedus surrendered to the Kansas City Police Department. Charges were formally filed against him the next day, including one count of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, with bail set at $200,000 cash-only. Reedus made his initial court appearance on the following Monday.
Court documents indicate that if Reedus is convicted, he would not qualify for parole until he has served 85% of his sentence, facing a potential 10 to 30 years or even life imprisonment.
