1 man found dead with gunshot near I-435 and K-10 in Lenexa

lenexa_k-10_road_rage_shooting — Above, Shawnee PD K-9 (center), JoCo Sheriff's Office CSI (left), and Lenexa PD detectives along the southbound lanes of I-435 just before K-10.

Lenexa Police and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating after a driver was found shot along Interstate 435 near Kansas Highway 10 on Thursday morning.

The shooting occurred around 5:45 a.m. Thursday

Off. Danny Chavez, a spokesperson for Lenexa Police, says officers were first called to the southbound lanes of I-435 at the K-10 interchange for a crash.
He says officers arrived to find a white Jeep Grand Cherokee that had crashed into a light pole in the ditch.
“The driver and sole occupant of the Jeep, an adult male, was located deceased inside the vehicle,” Chavez said in a news release.
Chavez said it was determined the man had sustained a gunshot wound.

Highway closed during investigation Thursday

Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers closed the ramp from southbound I-435 to westbound K-10 as they investigated the crash.
The ramp reopened after the crashed Jeep was removed shortly before 10 a.m.
“The Lenexa Police Department is conducting a death investigation to include the circumstances leading up to the incident,” Chavez said.

Investigators look for evidence on the scene of deadly shooting on I-435 in Lenexa. — Investigators comb through the grass of the central median of I-435 on Thursday afternoon as traffic passes in the northbound lanes. Photo credit Mike Frizzell.

Investigators returned later and closed highway again

Police and Highway Patrol troopers returned at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday to search for possible evidence of the shooting, closing all southbound lanes of I-435 at 87th Street in the process.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab techs could be seen using metal detectors along the Interstate.
Officers, detectives and two K-9s also walked the lanes looking for potential evidence.
All lanes of I-435 reopened at about 3:15 p.m.

Road rage left open as a possible motive for shooting

The deceased man has not been publicly identified.
Police are asking anyone to come forward who may have information “about this incident, including any possible road rage behaviors observed between a white Jeep Grand Cherokee and another vehicle on southbound I-435 highway at around 5:45 a.m.”
To give tips, you can call 913-825-8040 or the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News.