Maplewood Ambush

[ChRdy21799]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/6DCF328F1CF2C1A78625748E0014866F?OpenDocument

You guys out east got any updates on this? KMIZ Columbia news is reporting the suspect's body has not yet been found (however they are notorious for delivering invalid info).

I hope he burns in he**. The firefighter was so young.

[ray8285]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...F?OpenDocument

You guys out east got any updates on this? KMIZ Columbia news is reporting the suspect's body has not yet been found (however they are notorious for delivering invalid info).

I hope he burns in he**. The firefighter was so young.

About an hour ago the news still reported no body found yet and the LEO is going to be OK. The FF had been on the job for just 10 months.

[JimK.]

I heard this morning that they found a burned body in the house and weapons. They are doing testing to find out who it is. He is already burned, so I guess now he jsut needs to be in hell.

[ChRdy21799]

Thanks for the update Jim.

[ray8285]

ME identified the remains as the owner/suspect of the house. They said the POS swallowed a bullet after setting fire to the house.

[AntonioDestiny]

Ambush that's ****ed up

[NBW791]

Especially on firefighters. Cops get attacked all the time and althoough it's not acceptable, we know it's a hazard of the job, but it's odd when somebody ambushes firefighters. That's really awful. What a messed up world we live in these days.

[BPD_126]

Especially on firefighters. Cops get attacked all the time and althoough it's not acceptable, we know it's a hazard of the job, but it's odd when somebody ambushes firefighters. That's really awful. What a messed up world we live in these days.

Do you remember the Grandview Rd. shootout in KCMO about 5 years ago? The guy had numerous citations from codes out on him and codes called the police out because he was getting rowdy. He barricaded himself inside the house and set fire to a shed I think. FD and ambulance arrive and the guy opens up from an upstairs window w/ a .50 cal Barret! They showed us the pics of the bullet paths going through the pumper and ambulance. A MAST (ambulance) medic got hit and officers were pinned down. The guy then blew up his own house. Pretty amazing footage. I'll try to find it.

[BPD_126]

Here's some of it:

video: http://www.kmbc.com/news/2871642/detail.html


Shooter Opens Fire As Homes Explode
1 Paramedic Wounded

POSTED: 4:11 p.m. CST February 23, 2004
UPDATED: 8:23 p.m. CST February 23, 2004


Story by Kansas City One Channel

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two homes exploded in south Kansas City Monday afternoon as an apparent sniper fired shots at emergency workers. One female paramedic was hit.

The explosions happened on Grandview Road just north of Bannister Road around 4 p.m. KMBC's Johnny Rowlands reported that one explosion may have been caused by a propane tank in one of the homes. NewsChopper 9 was in the air above the home when the second explosion occurred and captured it on tape. The explosion sent debris flying into the air at least 1,000 feet, Rowlands said. Police said rubble landed five blocks away from the home.

Fire Battalion 107 was the first to arrive at the scene, and quickly came under fire from an unknown shooter, KMBC's Maria Antonia reported. The 12 firefighters called for help, and police and additional emergency crews were sent to the scene. According to Fire Department spokesman Germane Friends, none of the firefighters was injured.

Police said the shots were fired from the woods near one of the homes. No emergency or fire workers approached the house despite intense flames, apparently because of the shooting.

A female paramedic was shot by the sniper, according to Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust spokesman Eric Dooley. The paramedic's name has not been released, but Dooley said she has been with MAST for more than 15 years. Her injuries were serious, but she was reported to be in stable condition after undergoing surgery at a hospital.

"As far as I can remember this is the first incident of a paramedic being shot in Kansas City. They've been shot at, but never shot," Dooley said.

Two bullet holes were visible in an ambulance parked at the scene of the explosions, KMBC's Dan Weinbaum reported.

Kansas City Fire Chief Smokey Dyer called what happened a "deliberate ambush."

"Whenever you arrive at a fire incident scene and numerous pieces of fire apparatus -- all together we have four pieces of apparatus that have been heavily shot, we have reports from our personnel and the tactical team from the police department that's been in the area that all of our tires have been shot out -- it would be hard to believe that this could be an accidental event," Dyer said.


Police Search For Shooter
"When the officers arrived on the scene to assist the Fire Department and MAST personnel, as soon as they exited their vehicle they came under fire along with MAST and fire personnel. The officers observed where the fire was coming from and observed a suspect standing beside a building at which time the officers returned fire at the suspect," said Capt. Ron Fletcher.

Officers pulled back from their positions right after the second home exploded.

"They obviously saw the weapon protruding from beside the building, along with the muzzle flash and the suspect standing. That's what they were returning fire at. A short time after they fired at the suspect, that's when there was an explosion there where the suspect was standing," Fletcher said.

Investigators told KMBC that they are looking for a "person of interest." They identified him as Donin Wright, 62. He is about 300 pounds with gray and white hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.

Police cordoned off about a 1-mile radius around the burning homes. Officers patrolled the area on foot and in armored vehicles, and a police helicopter searched from the air.

Bannister Road was shut down at highway 71, which is causing traffic backups. Southbound highway 71 is slow in the area while traffic is being diverted.


Some Neighbors Evacuated
Officers evacuated people from several homes in the neighborhood by placing them in armored vehicles and driving residents from the scene. One woman who lived across the street told Antonia that she was watching TV when the ground shook.

"About 3:45 p.m. or 4 p.m., we were sitting there watching TV and you heard a big old "boom" and it rocked the complex. We looked out the back patio and you could see smoke and fire. We got into the truck and drove up. We got to 95th Street, going up to Grandview Road and (authorities) told us to get back. The fire trucks had just passed us and it took about 10 or 15 minutes before they got there. And all of sudden you heard gunshots. I mean rapid gunshots, like an AK-47 or something like that. They were telling everybody to get back and the police came in there and everybody was just running everywhere," neighbor Leslie Cole (pictured, left) said.