A Kansas City man is facing multiple felony charges after being involved in an alleged road rage shooting during the early morning hours of Saturday.
29-year-old Maurice Hayes is facing a slew of charges, as court documents filed in Jackson County on Monday reveal. The charges against him include five felonies, namely 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, he trailed them in his black Chevrolet Malibu, ultimately blocking their path and compelling them to halt on either Leeds Road or Linwood Boulevard.
As the victim couple reversed their car to create enough space for them to drive away, a woman nearby reported hearing a gunshot and the sound of it hitting their vehicle.
The incident took place on Saturday, December 14, between 3-5 a.m.
Hayes, who is currently homeless, informed the police that he and his girlfriend, along with her two children, were sleeping in their car at a park. They were abruptly awakened by a loud noise and felt the car shaking. According to the 29-year-old, the occupants of another vehicle deliberately brake-checked him and tried to force him off the road when he pulled up beside them.
According to court records, Hayes informed the police that he fired two shots in the air as a warning upon seeing an arm extending from the window of the other vehicle and holding a black object. The couple who were the victims of the incident stated that the object in question was simply the man’s cell phone, which he had held out the window to indicate that he was speaking with the police.
Hayes’ companion 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 set for December 23, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. According to court records, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2025, at 1 p.m.
