House Explosion and Shots Fired!

[ShowMeKC]

I haven't seen anything like this in our fair city in at least 3-4 years...

If you want a general location, this is a fair distance southeast of the Plaza and Swope Park.

The Plaza is from about 44th Street to 53rd. But this is just about where the urban core ends (in the south)

From different TV Stations:

KCTV5-

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Firefighters, police and paramedics were at the scene of an explosion, house fire and shooting Monday evening.

An ambulance worker was shot and taken to a Kansas City hospital. The female driver of a MAST ambulance, who'd worked for MAST for more than 15 years, was undergoing surgery at Research Medical Center. Her condition was critical but stable.

Police were looking for a man they believed might be the shooter, Donin Wright, a man in his 60s who weighed more than 300 pounds and had gray and white hair.

A police officer reported hearing what sounded like an explosion and saw fire shooting into the sky Monday afternoon, and police, firefighters and paramedics headed toward a house fire in the 9400 block of South Grandview Road.

When they began to arrive, they were fired upon, possibly by a man in a nearby wooded area.

Firefighters weren't able to battle the flames because they were being fired upon.

Firefighters, police and paramedics backed away from the scene.

The fire spread to at least two houses.

A neighbor told KCTV5 News that the house that caught fire first was destroyed, and a second one was damaged.

After the initial explosion, KCTV5's CityCam captured a second explosion on tape.

Two school buses carrying about 60 kids from an elementary school about 10 blocks away weren't able to get into the area to take the kids home, so they returned the kids to the school, where a spokeswoman said they were safe with their principal and a police officer.

Videos included http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=1662008&nav=1PuZL1RT

WDAF TV 4 (Fox 4)

Police Investigate Explosion & Shooting

Kansas City, MO - Police are investigating a house explosion and shooting in a southeast Kansas City, MO neighborhood that happened on Monday afternoon. An explosion and fire broke out at a house near Grandview and Bannister Roads. Neighbors say they felt the explosion and that it felt like an earthquake. Then they heard shots.

Fire officials confirm there was a shooter in the woods nearby. Police say one MAST ambulance driver was hit by the gunfire. The woman is getting medical attention at a local hospital. A MAST spokesman says the worker is undergoing surgery. She is listed in critical, but stable condition. The spokesman says the woman is a 15-year veteran with MAST ambulance.

Police are searching the woods for the shooter. He was seen running away from the area. Authorities have blocked off some roads to traffic around the Kansas City neighborhood while they investigate the situation.

The Public Information Director with the Hickman Mills School District says they have two school buses that are unable to drop off kids who live in the area where the explosion took place. The changes affect students who ride buses number 8 and 18. The district is keeping students in the Santa Fe Elementary School Gym until their parents or guardians can pick them up.