Crime
50-year-old Dennis Sharkey killed after shooting on I-29 near NW 72nd Street in Platte County
Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred Friday night, prompting a partial closure of Interstate 29 in Platte County.
The incident was reported shortly after 7 p.m. on the off-ramp of I-29 and Northwest 72nd Street.
According to the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), officers responded to a call about a vehicle that had veered off the roadway.
Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle south of Northwest 72nd Street, off the highway on the southbound side. The car had come to rest against a barrier fence on an embankment along the outer road.
Inside the vehicle, police discovered 50-year-old Dennis A. Sharkey, a resident of Liberty, Missouri. Sharkey appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds and was unresponsive.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the shooting likely occurred while Sharkey was driving southbound on I-29, at or just north of the Northwest 72nd Street area. The motive and circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.
Detectives from KCPD are working to piece together the events that led to this tragic incident. Authorities are urging anyone who was in the area of I-29 between Barry Road and Northwest 72nd Street at the time of the shooting to come forward if they heard or saw anything unusual.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477. All tips remain confidential, and your information could assist law enforcement in resolving this case.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no further details are available at this time.
Crime
Indiana Man Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Assassinate President Trump in TikTok Videos
A 23-year-old Indiana man has been arrested and charged with making threats against former President Donald Trump after allegedly posting multiple threatening videos on TikTok, federal authorities announced Thursday.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI, Douglas Thrams posted a series of videos between Monday—when Trump was inaugurated—and Wednesday, in which he allegedly threatened anti-government violence and called for the assassination of the former president.
In one of the videos cited in the complaint, Thrams reportedly stated, “Every U.S. government building needs to be bombed immediately.” He further escalated his rhetoric by saying, “He [Trump] needs to be assassinated, and this time, don’t… miss,” using explicit language.
Authorities noted that Thrams’ statements were particularly concerning in light of previous assassination attempts targeting Trump, including an incident last year at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president sustained a minor injury to his ear.
Additionally, an FBI affidavit revealed that in another video, Thrams was seen holding a rifle and tapping it, an action investigators interpreted as an implied threat.
Thrams was taken into custody on Thursday and has been charged with “interstate communications with a threat to injure,” a federal offense.
The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not disclosed any further potential threats. Thrams is expected to appear in federal court in the coming days.