INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — A police officer and a court employee were shot and killed Thursday in Independence, Missouri.
The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. at a house at 1111 N. Elsea Smith Road, KMBC reported. The court employee was reportedly attempting to serve an eviction notice when the shooting started, The Associated Press reported.
The victims were identified by police as Officer Cody Allen, 35, and Civil Process server Drexel Mack, 35, according to the news outlet.
A second police officer is in critical condition, the Independence Police Department said, according to the AP. The second officer is expected to survive, police said.
“My heart breaks for the Independence Police Department and all the family and friends of their officer who succumbed to injuries from a shooting earlier today,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I am praying for all others impacted today and all of the women and men of law enforcement in the Kansas City area.”
“We are devastated that a court employee, who is a public servant, was shot by a member of the public while performing their job,” Presiding Judge Jalilah Otto said in a statement obtained by the AP. “Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with our employee, our entire Court family, and the Independence Police Department.”
A suspect is believed to be in custody, according to KMBC.
Information about what led up to the shooting will not be released immediately, Independence Police Department spokesperson Officer Jack Taylor said, according to the AP.
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