At approximately 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Honystye Chancellor’s phone was inundated with calls from concerned family members and friends. Each call she answered seemed to be quickly followed by another.
The distressing news was that her stepfather, 41-year-old Jason McConnell, had been shot while fulfilling his duties as a security guard at the Klymax Lounge located at 4242 Indiana Ave.
Chancellor hurriedly made her way to the scene, where a chaotic scene unfolded with a multitude of police officers and club attendees congregating in the area.
Parking her vehicle a few blocks away, she sprinted towards Klymax. Gathering information from the clubgoers present, Chancellor received the devastating news that her stepfather, who was working security at the entrance that evening, was among the three individuals who tragically lost their lives in the shooting incident.
Additionally, two other individuals sustained injuries as a result of the incident.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, individuals in the crowd informed Chancellor that popular local rapper Nutty Still Gassin’ had just concluded his performance and was in the process of exiting the club when the shooting occurred.
While Kansas City police have not released the identities of the victims involved in the incident, those present at the club were familiar with McConnell due to his amiable nature and ability to engage with anyone.
Chancellor described him as a versatile individual who held various jobs in the vicinity, including working as a security personnel at Klymax, serving at a Waffle House, and managing a Cricket Wireless store.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting at the nightclub remained uncertain on Sunday morning. Officer Donna Drake, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department, stated that officers were called to the scene at approximately 1:25 a.m. in response to the shooting.
Tragically, two individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene, while another individual succumbed to their injuries shortly after being transported to the hospital. Additionally, two other individuals sustained injuries in the incident, with one in critical condition and the other in stable condition at the hospital.
Given certain criteria, the shooting could potentially be categorized as a mass shooting.
Jason McConnell shot and killed in mass shooting at Klymax Lounge in Kansas City