On September 3, 2019 at approximately 6:20 pm Parsons Police responded to a report of shots being fired at 26th and Belmont in Parsons.

The shots were reported being fired from an unknown black sedan at a white Dodge Charger. Witness accounts of the event are spotty. Six shell casings were recovered at the scene and are being processed for forensic evidence. It appears the target of the shooting was the white Dodge Charger. The victim has not come forward to assist police in the investigation yet. According to witness accounts a Black Male leaned out of the black vehicle and began firing at the white vehicle. Both vehicles left in opposite directions.

The white Charger was found unoccupied by Parsons Police and has been recovered for forensic processing.

"This is a difficult investigation to work when there is limited witness information. The vast majority of crimes are solved when the community takes responsibility for safety in their city and identify law breakers. This was a targeted act of violence and there are individuals in town that know who the suspect is," according to Drug Task Force Commander Mike Powell.

Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said "it is time that the citizens of Parsons step-up and take accountability for their community. These types of crimes will only get worse if citizens are not willing to help law enforcement. We promote 'See It, Hear It, Report It' for more than just a catchy slogan. We have had great success in closing the majority of criminal investigations in town through the concerted help of our citizens."

The Parsons Police Department is investigating the possible creation of a new Crime Stoppers chapter. Crime Stoppers is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop crime tip information at the local level. You can learn about Crime Stoppers a www.crimestoppersusa.org. Crime Stoppers USA is the national crime stoppers organization that spans the United States to create a network of local programs that work together to prevent and solve crimes in communities and schools across the nation.

Crime Stoppers is based on the principal that some one other than the criminal has information that can solve a crime and was created to combat the three major problems faced by law enforcement in generating that information:

•    Fear of reprisal
•    Attitude of apathy
•    Reluctance to get involved

Crime Stoppers resolves these problems by:

•    Offering anonymity to people who provide information about crimes
•    Paying rewards when information supplied leads to an arrest

There are currently seven Crime Stopper chapters in the State of Kansas. It is our goal to make Labette County the eighth chapter in Kansas. With your help we can take a step forward in closing even more local cases.

This continues to be an on-going investigation and citizens are encouraged to "See It, Hear It, Report It." If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at tips@parsonspd.com.

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