Man sentenced to 11 years for his role in shooting outside of North Kansas City High School
Michael Smallwood was sentenced to 11 years in prison Friday for his role in a shooting outside North Kansas City High School during a basketball game in 2024.
Smallwood pleaded guilty back in March to second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and fourth-degree assault. He was sentenced to six years for one count of second-degree assault, seven years for another count of second-degree assault, four years for unlawful use of a weapon and one year for fourth-degree assault. Both second-degree assault sentences will run consecutively, totaling 11 years, according to the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors alleged Smallwood, who was 18 at the time, and his brother, LaVondre, exchanged gunfire outside the school on March 2, 2024, while students and families were gathered inside for the basketball game against Staley High School.
Two people were hurt as a result of the shooting. Surveillance video reportedly showed children and adults running for shelter.
The prosecutor's office said the "violent altercation" occurred between two groups of young men.
In his March plea agreement, Smallwood admitted he returned fire after being shot at, acknowledging the danger posed by firing a weapon in a crowded area.
"We requested a sentence of nineteen years in prison, because we wanted justice for the victims and to send an unmistakable message that violent crime committed in Clay County will be punished severely," Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said in a news release. "The defendant spent the first eighteen years of his life making decisions that led him to engage in a gun battle surrounded by innocent people, and now he can spend the next eleven years in prison thinking about those decisions."
"We won’t tolerate violence where families and students should feel safe," Thompson continued in the news release. "I commend the North Kansas City Police Department on a thorough investigation."