A man from Kansas City is facing multiple felony charges after reportedly being involved in a road rage shooting incident during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Maurice Hayes, a 29-year-old individual, is facing multiple charges as stated in the court documents filed in Jackson County on Monday.
These charges include five felonies: unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful discharge of a firearm, armed criminal action, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Hayes allegedly pursued a homeless couple in his vehicle near Stadium Drive and Leeds Trafficway. According to a probable cause document, Hayes tailed the couple in his black Chevrolet Malibu, eventually intercepting them and compelling them to halt on either Leeds Road or Linwood Boulevard.
After the victim couple reversed their car to create enough space to drive around and successfully drove away, a witness reported hearing a gunshot and witnessing it striking their vehicle.
The incident occurred during the early hours of Saturday, December 14th, between 3 and 5 a.m.
According to Hayes, he and his girlfriend, along with her two children, were sleeping in their car at a park when they were startled awake by a loud noise and felt the car shaking.
The 29-year-old stated that the other vehicle intentionally slowed down in front of him and tried to force him off the road when he pulled up alongside them.
According to court records, Hayes informed the police that he discharged two “warning shots” into the air after observing an arm extending from the window of the other vehicle, gripping a black object.
The victims, however, assert that the object in question was the individual’s cell phone, which he presented through the window to indicate that he was conversing with the authorities.
The woman accompanying Hayes stated that she also tried to fire a warning shot, but her gun malfunctioned.
Hayes is currently in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center, where he is being held on a bond of $75,000. A bond review hearing has been scheduled for December 23, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. According to court records, a preliminary hearing is set for January 15, 2025, at 1 p.m.