The Kansas City, Missouri, man accused of fatally shooting a coworker and injuring another outside of an Overland Park elementary school made his first appearance in court on Thursday.
Suspect Anthony David Grable, 32, was charged with one count of premeditated murder, one count of attempted premeditated murder, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of burglary in Johnson County District Court.
Grable allegedly shot two of his coworkers, Todd Eugene Davis, 48, and Efren Joaquin Gomez, 54, while installing turf on a playground at Sunrise Point Elementary School in Overland Park. Investigators said the three men were contractors and an argument broke out among them.
Davis later died from his injuries and Gomez is still in critical condition. Grable fled the scene and attempted to hijack two cars, successfully hijacking a GMC Denali. He then drove the SUV to the owner’s house where he surrendered himself to officers surrounding the residence after a standoff.
There were no students at the school when the shooting happened, and no staff members were involved.
Davis’ son, Tanner, spoke outside of the courthouse on Thursday and said his family was still reeling from the loss. Tanner asked to be identified by his first name only for privacy concerns.
“I can’t fathom that this would happen, especially at work,” he said.
He added that his father had been working the contracting job for about a year, to take care of his three children.
“It’s hard to believe that my father has been taken from our lives,” Tanner said. “He was an amazing father, he was a family man … no matter what job he took, he took it to pay and take care of us.”
Grable is being held on a $1 million bond and will appear in court again on July 13.Sophia Tulp is a KCUR news intern. Follow her on Twitter @sophia_tulp.
Copyright 2021 KCUR 89.3. To see more, visit KCUR 89.3. 9(MDA3OTgyNDI4MDEzMTM0MjQzMTZlNDI0Mg004))