The armed carjacking of a Kansas City high schooler ends in a high-speed chase with police
A 17-year-old girl was the victim of two different gun crimes Wednesday morning
A 17-year-old girl was the victim of two different gun crimes Wednesday morning
A 17-year-old girl was the victim of two different gun crimes Wednesday morning
A 17-year-old girl was the victim of two different gun crimes Wednesday morning, including a carjacking at gunpoint in her high school’s parking lot.
According to Kansas City Police and her mother Carol Ready, the first incident happened when Elnora Owens, 17, was caught in the crossfire between two people.
That gunfire knocked out a window in her convertible.
Carol said after Elnora called Kansas City Police, it took officers nearly two hours for officers to respond.
“We’re in a school zone where children are shooting at each other, and another child is in the crossfire,” Carol said.
Kansas City Police Spokeswoman Leslie Foreman said because Elnora didn’t call police until 20 minutes after the incident, wasn’t at the scene, and was uninjured, the report was not prioritized for an immediate response.
Less than half an hour after Elnora gave police officers the report of that incident, she was carjacked at gunpoint in the Northeast High School parking lot where Elnora is a senior.
It’s about three blocks from where the crossfire incident took place.
According to Carol, the carjackers told Elnora to leave her phone in the car.
That decision turned out to be a mistake.
Carol could track the phone and her daughter’s car with an app to what Carol describes as an alley chop shop.
She called the police.
Before officers arrived, the carjackers took off in Elnora’s car.
Carol tried to block them from leaving with her SUV.
But the carjackers were able to smash through her SUV and keep driving.
“Those are my children, we’re all we have here, and it’s jail or hell for me when it comes to my kids. Whatever I got to do to protect them, I will,” Carol said.
Kansas City Police Officers were able to locate the car and went on a high-speed chase.
That high-speed chase nearly struck Nakikio Moore as she was driving northbound on 71 Highway at the intersection of Gregory.
“And all I remember seeing was four people in the silver drop top and hair blowing, it was like a scene out of a movie. They almost ran head onto me, and I swerved, and there were other cars on the side of me swerving, so ya, it was dangerous, and I’m just glad they were caught,” she said.
Ultimately, the carjackers crashed into some furniture left at the side of the road for trash just east of the corner of 74th and Bellefontaine.
That location is about 11 miles from where the carjacking took place at Northeast High School.
A man jumped out of the car before the crash and was caught.
Another man and two women were also arrested without incident.
None of the police officers or suspects were injured.
“We just have to rely upon our training and be cautious due to the fact somebody might be armed,” said Commander Chris Young, KCPD.
Police officers recovered a silver handgun in plain sight in the convertible.
It matches the description Elnora gave of the gun a man pointed at her during the carjacking.
While Elnora’s Chrysler Sebring convertible was recovered, it has major body damage.
The teen does not have insurance to cover repairs.
“She worked two jobs all summer to pay for that car,” Carol said.
Carol said her SUV was totaled from her confrontation and collision with the armed carjackers.
“If I had to do everything again, I would ram that car even harder,” Carol said. “Just know that some of us momma bears out there go above and beyond for theirs, and I’m one of them. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my children,” she added.
A Kansas City Public Schools spokeswoman confirmed that
one of their students was carjacked at school.
She said security staff members from the school system are working with Kansas City Police on the case.
Carol said she and her family moved from Detroit to Kansas City in June 2021 to get away from Detroit’s crime.