Missouri – A man from Kansas City has been sentenced to almost ten years in federal prison after admitting to possessing a gun while already barred from having one. This punishment is a big step in a case that started with an investigation into stolen cars and culminated with a terrifying incident in a busy convenience shop.
U.S. District Judge Greg Kays gave Shannon J. Price, 30, a 115-month prison sentence. Price was found guilty under federal law, which says that those with felony convictions are forbidden to own or carry guns. Court records reveal that Price had been convicted of numerous felonies before and was on probation for aggravated assault when the incident happened. In that earlier case, he admitted to threatening another person with a deadly weapon, placing them in fear of immediate harm.
In a press release, the Justice Department stated that the new charges are based on what happened on July 28, 2023. Price was driving a car that had been reported stolen as federal and local police were looking into a suspected stolen car operation. In the afternoon, officers kept an eye on him and followed him to a convenience shop.
Investigators said that Price entered into the business with a loaded gun. At the moment, there were a few customers inside. Price tried to get rid of the gun by putting it on a low shelf when he saw police officers getting closer. This was a place where anyone, even a child, could have found it. Police acted immediately, arresting him and getting the loaded weapon away from him before it could do even more damage. Surveillance footage later confirmed the sequence of events.
Read also: North Kansas City Schools celebrates highest Annual Performance Report score since MSIP6 began
Department of Justice Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam was in charge of the case, and the FBI was in charge of the investigation. Prosecutors stated that Price’s conduct broke federal law and put the public in danger, especially since he tried to hide a loaded gun where unsuspecting buyers could find it.
Price will have to serve his time in federal prison without the chance of parole, as is required under the federal system.
