Metro area school security officer charged with murder after weekend shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Center School District security officer now faces murder charges after a Day Weekend shooting led to a nearby collision.
Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court records filed on Saturday, May 24, indicate that Marquis D. Ponder, 30, of Kansas City, has been charged with second-degree murder after a weekend shooting led to a crash that involved a motorcycle.
A probable cause statement filed by the Kansas City Police Department revealed that around 4 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement officials were called to the area of Westport Rd. and Broadway Blvd. with reports of a motorcycle-vehicle crash.
When first responders arrived, they said they learned the driver of an SUV had suffered a gunshot wound. He was unresponsive and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. He was later identified as 30-year-old Levon J. Quinn.
Meanwhile, witnesses told investigators the shooting took place in front of a nearby business before the victim got in his car and attempted to drive away. A short time later, the victim’s vehicle crashed into one of their motorcycles. The impact knocked one of the drivers off his bike and across the intersection.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement officials said they learned an argument began inside the business and escalated to a shooting outside, just north of the front doors. A single shell casing and a small trail of blood were found in the parking lot.
Investigators indicated that surveillance footage from the area revealed that as the suspect and the victim argued, the victim turned away and walked back to his vehicle. With the victim’s back still turned, the suspect could be seen reaching for a gun, pulling the trigger and shooting the victim.
The footage revealed that both the victim and the suspect got in their own vehicles and left the scene. The suspect was identified as Ponder through the license plate picked up on the video and a blue polo shirt he wore with an embroidered “Center School District Officer Ponder” logo.
Just before 6:10 p.m., KD said officers spotted Ponder’s vehicle near Gregory and Indiana Ave. A traffic stop was initiated and Ponder was taken into custody without incident.
During an interview with investigators, Ponder told them the victim “said and did some things he should not have said or done.” He also told officers, “I don’t want to say anything wrong. I don’t want to say anything right,” as well as, “It is what it is,” through the rest of the interview. He did not deny the events or his involvement.
As a result, Ponder has been charged with murder in the second degree, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
The Center School District told KCTV5 News it is aware of the incident that happened off school property over the holiday weekend.
“To our knowledge, the incident did not involve any Center School District students,” said a district spokesperson. “The individual identified in the reports is a district employee who will no longer be reporting for work in the district.”
An initial appearance is expected to be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27. As of Tuesday morning, Ponder remains behind bars on a $500,000 bond. No further information has been released.
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