‘We were freaking out’: Uber taking fans to World Cup match hit by gunfire in Kansas City shootings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) — Police are searching for a suspect wanted in multiple shootings in Kansas City that left one person dead and four others injured.

The shootings happened within a 30-minute window along I-670 and I-70 starting around 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Police said they found victims at:

• I-670 and Wyoming
• I-70 and Paseo
• I-70 and Prospect
• Truman Road and Hardesty

Police confirmed at least three of the victims are adults, and one is a teenager. Police said the four injured victims were taken to the hospital. The teen is said to be stable. Two of the adults are expected to recover, while another adult’s condition is said to be life-threatening.

An Uber driver taking Argentina fans to the World Cup match at Arrowhead Stadium was one of five people shot Tuesday evening.

The identity of the deceased victim has not yet been released.

‘We were freaking out,’ passenger says

Alejandro Berbari and his wife flew into Kansas City on Tuesday afternoon. They called an Uber to take them to their hotel to drop off their luggage, then to take them and two friends to the stadium for the Argentina vs Algeria match.

They were on I-70 passing the Prospect exit when a car drove by, and he says the driver shot at their vehicle.

“A car drove by super fast and we heard boom, boom,” said Berbari. “We were chatting and thought the tire was broken and we’re going to be late to the game. Then suddenly the driver kept saying ‘I’m hit, I’m hit’.”

He says he, his wife, and friends didn’t understand what was going on, but now commends the driver for still being able to pull off on the shoulder despite being shot.

“I look over our driver and see he has two holes in his legs,” said Berbari. “He was bleeding. I didn’t understand what was going on. I saw the holes in the door. We called 911 and told them where we were.”

Berbari hopped in the first seat as the 911 operator was giving him instructions on what to do. He grabbed baby wipes that were in the glove box and started applying pressure to the wounds as the driver began passing out.

“I mean, imagine, we were in chaos,” said Berbari. “We are freaking out. We didn’t understand what was going on.”

First responders got there ten minutes later, taking the driver to a hospital.

Uber shared a response with KCTV on Thursday morning, calling the details of the shooting “terrifying.”

“We have been in touch with the driver and rider to check on their well-being,” an Uber spokesperson said. “And our thoughts are with the driver as he recovers. We are in touch with law enforcement and stand ready to support their investigation however we can.”

“I hope he is well,” said Berbari. “I am really feeling for him.”

Berbari hailed the first responders, adding that once a police officer took their statements at the station, he personally drove them to the stadium to ensure they didn’t miss the game. He says they didn’t realize the extent of the situation until a friend sent him a news article.

“The first thing I thought was it was a terrorist attack,” said Berbari. “That kind of random thing to hurt people. You start questioning what ifs.”

The Suspect

Detectives believe the suspect responsible for the shooting was also involved in a deadly shooting and crash at Truman Road and Bennington Avenue the same day of the shootings.

The trail led police to a home in Independence, where an overnight standoff began. Around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, officials say the house caught fire. Fire crews responded and extinguished the blaze.

Police later identified 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez-Munoz as the suspect in the shootings and said he had yet to be located by authorities. Sanchez-Munoz previously had a $100,000 bond for an aggravated assault in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

“We have law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels all looking for him right now as we speak,” said KCPD Chief Stacey Graves. “Right now, we are asking for the public’s assistance to make sure we have all eyes trying to locate and get him into custody as soon as possible.”

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Sanchez-Munoz. If anyone sees him, police say to call 911 immediately.