On March 20, 2017, a blue minivan was found crashed in a wooded ditch near Blue Parkway and Bennington Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. Inside the vehicle, 37-year-old Shakeisha D. Urassa and 33-year-old Marquis Clark were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds. A third occupant had been shot in the abdomen but managed to flee the crash and run to a nearby hotel to summon help, telling authorities others were still inside the van.

Officers encountered a nearby man, later identified as Robert Jerell Townsend, who was nude except for socks and exhibiting erratic behavior. Townsend told investigators he had been a passenger, that he fled the van and discarded a firearm, and initially claimed he fired only after hearing other shots. Passengers said an argument started after Townsend and Clark engaged in a freestyle rap battle; Clark allegedly slapped Townsend’s hand, after which Townsend produced a handgun and opened fire inside the crowded van, causing the driver to lose control.

Charging documents in Jackson County allege there was no evidence shots came from outside the van and charge Townsend with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, and three counts of armed criminal action in the deaths of Shakeisha Urassa and Marquis Clark. Does anyone have information about the people who were riding in that van or what led up to the argument?