Man accused of threatening amusement park attack
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 59year old man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly threatened to use explosives, kill children and “have a Texas style shooting” aimed at Kansas City amusement park Worlds of Fun on Sunday.
Authorities say Johnathan G. Smith made a phone call to a person where he stated a desire to “kill kids” and staff at the park along with others, according to a probable cause statement filed Monday in Clay County Circuit Court. He is also accused of attempting to buy a firearm from a person who turned out to be an informant for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the charging document says.
Smith was charged Tuesday with a single count of making a terrorist threat, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison under Missouri law. An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday calling for Smith to be held on a $100,000 bond.
Kansas City police began investigating the case on Sunday morning after a woman reported that Smith had made a threatening phone call around 9 a.m. During the call, the witness said, Smith allegedly told her of a plan to kill her, “kill kids at Worlds of Fun, blow Worlds of Fun up, come back to kill” another victim and “make the police kill him.”
Smith also allegedly threatened to blow up a Northland hotel where he was apparently staying.
Two other witnesses spoke to police about threats Smith allegedly made to them on the same day that involved the park. One said she was told to “prepare to die” when he arrived, the charging document says.
Authorities also allege Smith called the North Kansas City Police Department and said he wanted “to go out on his own terms” and have a “Texas style shooting,” possibly a reference to the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 schoolchildren and two teachers were killed last month.
On Sunday, Kansas City police located Smith at a truck stop a few miles from Worlds of Fun. He was taken to Liberty Hospital for a mental evaluation, court records show.
The threat prompted a response from the security team at Worlds of Fun, court records show. Smith was banned from the park and the public safety director asked that his photograph be shared with off duty KCPD officers who work security there and other park personnel.
Worlds of Fun did not immediately reply to The Star’s request for comment.