A 22-year-old was accused of opening fire on at least 5 people along Kansas City freeways
Oscar Sanchez-Muñoz, a 22-year-old from Independence, Missouri, is accused of randomly shooting at least five people along Kansas City freeways on the evening of June 16, killing one and wounding several others, before escaping a police standoff when a fire broke out at his home. He remains at large.
According to Kansas City police, the shootings took place within a 30-minute window as Sanchez-Muñoz traveled eastward along Interstates 670 and 70 before exiting onto local roadways. The victims were shot indiscriminately from a passing vehicle. Five people were struck before the spree ended.
The FBI issued a $25,000 reward on June 19 for information leading to Sanchez-Muñoz’s arrest and conviction. As of June 20, the agency’s Kansas City field office had referred all questions to local police.
Who was shot and what happened to them
Among those shot was an Uber driver who was transporting Argentine fans to Arrowhead Stadium to watch Argentina face Algeria in a World Cup match that same evening. The passengers told an Argentine newspaper they were fired on twice from a passing car on the freeway. The driver was struck in the leg and is recovering, with police confirming the injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Two adults and a teenager were also shot and taken to the hospital. The teenager was listed in stable condition. One adult sustained non-life-threatening injuries while another was in a more serious condition.
A fifth victim died at a local hospital after their vehicle crashed into a utility pole. The driver was found to have a gunshot wound consistent with the freeway shooting spree.
The standoff and the escape
On the night of June 16, Independence police went to Sanchez-Muñoz’s listed address after the shootings. Officers reported seeing him inside the home before a fire ignited at the property. After the fire was extinguished, police entered the residence on June 17 but found no sign of the suspect. The vehicle believed to have been used in the shootings was recovered outside the house.
A second search was conducted on the morning of June 18 at another Kansas City address, but Sanchez-Muñoz was not found there either.
An earlier incident and the wider search
The June 16 freeway spree was not Sanchez-Muñoz’s first alleged violent encounter with strangers on the road. On June 11, Kansas authorities in nearby Wyandotte County accused him of firing on a car that had both an adult and a child inside. That incident is also part of the active case against him.
Sanchez-Muñoz remains wanted on multiple charges across two states. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is encouraged to contact the FBI, which has made his capture a priority through its reward offering.