‘Close call’: Neighborhood rattled after gunfire erupts at short-term rental
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A quiet neighborhood turned into chaos when gunfire erupted outside a short-term rental property in a Kansas City neighborhood overnight Friday.
Bullets went flying through people’s homes and cars and left many terrified. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The shooting happened after a large party at a home near 44th and Forest Ave.
Kansas City, Missouri, Police said they were called to the house three times throughout the night. Once for a noise complaint, then for a disturbance, and then for reports of a suspicious vehicle.
The gunshots were picked up on a Ring camera. More than two dozen shots could be heard.
Kyle McKibben, who lives a few houses down, said the gunshots were so loud.
“I was pissed more than anything else, really,” he said, “never expect it around here.”
McKibben said his home was far enough away from the chaos, but some of his neighbors weren’t so fortunate.
“These are my friends that have bullet holes in their houses,” he said in frustration.
A neighbor who lives right next door to the home showed KCTV5 the damage done to his two cars. There were bullet holes everywhere.
Just across the street, Noah Hoelscher and his wife were jolted awake by the first round of shots.
“She asked me, ‘Were those gunshots?’ and I said yes, those are definitely gun shots,” he explained.
He said what happened next was even more terrifying.
“I came up to the front window, turned the light on and looked out and there was a shooter right in our garden about 3 feet from me,” he explained, “he saw me, and I slammed the light off and jumped on the floor.”
But that wasn’t the end of it, He said he then realized he and his wife were in the middle of crossfire.
“We heard people running behind our house and gunshots coming from the back of our house, which is unfortunate because my wife was sheltering in the back of our house.”
Neighbors said the situation brings up a conversation about the responsibility that comes with renting out your home
“I think a lot of people view short-term rentals as an easy way to make money, but it’s a business and there is a lot of responsibility to it.”
Hoelscher said this was a close call for a community and feels there is not one person or issue to blame
“There are definitely some risks with short-term rentals and how they interact with our neighborhoods,” he said, “hearing the detectives talk about how young most of these kids were really saddening. There are just a lot of like issues for the community to kind of dwell on.”
A few residents said they have spoken with the owner of the short-term rental and that he has expressed regret that he didn’t take control of the situation sooner.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
