Three men, two of whom have been tied to a Kansas City gang, face murder charges after prosecutors allege they fatally shot a man leaving a birthday party in Independence in May.
Ezra Richardson, Kevin Jackson and Taj Griffin each face charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon for their alleged roles in a fatal shooting outside Lux Premiere Event Space on May 10, 2026, according to a news release from Jazzlyn Johnson, director of communications for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officers with the Independence Police Department responded to the event space at the Scottsdale Center in the 17000 block of East U.S. 40 around 12:45 a.m. after receiving a report of a shooting, according to probable cause statements filed in support of the men’s arrests…