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2016 Kansas–Missouri murder spree

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The 2016 Kansas–Missouri murder spree was a March 2016 American mass shooting in which four men were shot in a killing spree in Kansas and another was shot, shortly afterward, in Missouri.[1][2]

Background

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On the night of March 7, 2016, four men were shot to death with a shotgun in Kansas City, Kansas.[2] One of them managed to call police about the shooting before dying.[3] On the morning of March 8, 49-year-old Randy J. Nordman was shot to death in Montgomery County, Missouri, 170 mi (270 km) east of the site of the first shooting.[1] A truck believed to have been driven by the suspect was found five miles away along Interstate 70, and a massive manhunt for him was launched.[3] Two police helicopters and at least one SWAT team were involved in the search.[4]

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On March 9, police in New Florence, Missouri, responded to reports of a man pulling a firearm on a civilian at a gas station.[2] At 12:18 a.m., suspect Pablo Antonio Serrano-Vitorino, 40, who lived next door to the four initial victims, was found at a muddy hill alongside Interstate 70 and arrested by Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeants Primm and McGinnis. No shots were fired despite him being armed.[2][5] He was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle at the time of his arrest.[1][6] He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder in Kansas and was jailed in Montgomery County, Missouri, with bail set at $2 million.[3] The day following the arrest, he attempted suicide by cutting himself with a safety razor. He was admitted to a local hospital and was classified to be in stable condition.[7]

On June 1, Serrano-Vitorino pleaded not guilty to the Missouri killing. The death penalty was sought in that case.[8][9] In September, his Missouri case was transferred by a Montgomery County judge to St. Louis, Missouri for trial.[10] He had previously been sentenced to two years in a California prison for making a terrorist threat and had subsequently been deported from the U.S. in April 2004, but had reentered illegally again at an unspecified time.[3]

On April 9, 2019, Serrano-Vitorino was found alone and unresponsive in his cell, having hanged himself. He was taken to a hospital where he later was pronounced dead.[11]

Victims

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Kansas:[1]

  • Jeremy Waters, 36
  • Michael Capps, 41
  • Clint Harter, 27
  • Austin Harter, 29

Missouri:

  • Randy Nordman, 49

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Park, Madison; Castillo, Mariano (March 9, 2016). "Suspect in 5 killings slipped through deportation net". CNN. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Siemaszko, Corky; Johnson, Alex (March 9, 2016). "Cops Arrest Quadruple Homicide Suspect Pablo Antonio Serrano-Vitorino". NBC News. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Suhr, Jim (March 9, 2016). "Slaying Suspect Managed to Elude US Immigration Authorities". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  4. ^ "Manhunt intensifies for suspect after 5 deaths in Missouri and Kansas". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  5. ^ Rizzo, Tony; Adler, Eric; Campbell, Matt; Rice, Glenn E.; Burnes, Brian; Cronkleton, Robert A. (March 8, 2016). "Four shot to death in KCK; fifth killing in mid-Missouri may be linked". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  6. ^ "The Latest: Man Accused of Killing 5 Had Battery Conviction". ABC News. Associated Press. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  7. ^ Almasy, Steve (March 10, 2016). "Police: Suspect in Kansas, Missouri shootings cut himself in jail". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  8. ^ "Man charged in Missouri-Kansas shooting rampage pleads not guilty". FOX 2 Now. Associated Press. June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  9. ^ Claxton, Dan; Bergquist, Garrett (June 1, 2016). "Serrano-Vitorino enters not guilty plea". KRCG-TV. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  10. ^ Serrano-Vitorino Granted Change of Venue in Murder Case, KHMO (Associated Press), September 17, 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  11. ^ "KCK man awaiting trial for killing 5 people in 2016 is found dead in St. Louis jail". The Kansas City Star. April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
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