The Platte County Sheriff’s Office has located a person of interest in the shooting death of Citizen sports reporter Dennis Sharkey earlier this year.
Sharkey, 50, was killed Friday, Jan. 10 in a shooting on Interstate 29 at Northwest 72nd Street. Sharkey was a well-known journalist and sports photographer in Missouri.
According to Platte County Sheriff’s Office officials, a person of interest who does not reside in Platte County was identified and interviewed early this week. There was no information on possible arrest or charges.
On Friday evening, Jan. 10, around 7 p.m., the Kansas City Police Department responded to the area of southbound Interstate 29 near Northwest 72nd Street on a report of a vehicle that ran off the interstate and was resting near the barrier fence next to Prairie View Road. Officers located the vehicle and observed that a single male occupant, Sharkey, was in the vehicle and was non-responsive. He appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound. Aid was rendered at the scene and he was transported to an area hospital where he was declared deceased.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Kansas City Metro Squad in the investigation and the squad was convened on Saturday, Jan. 11.
It has been reported that Platte County law enforcement officials are aware that two vehicles stopped on the interstate for some sort of incident. The suspect is then believed to have gotten out of his or her vehicle before firing a single shot into Sharkey’s vehicle as he was attempting to get away.
Authorities reported that camera footage from area businesses aided in the investigation somewhat, but there is little else to go on. The Platte County Sheriff’s Office is asking that if there was anyone in the area of I-29 between Barry Road and NW 72nd Street near the time of the incident who observed anything that may be relevant to the investigation to please contact the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).