SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sedalia, Mo., man who was involved in a shooting in downtown Springfield, Mo., on July 20, 2025, was sentenced today for illegally possessing a stolen semi-automatic pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine during the incident.
Kenkori Lenell Grant Jr., 25, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Megan Blair Benton for being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Grant Jr., who has prior felony convictions for harassment in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm, pleaded guilty on Feb. 23, 2026. On July 20, 2025, officers with the Springfield Police Department heard shots fired near the intersection of S. Patton Ave. and W. Walnut St. slightly after midnight. Officers responded and found a victim who had suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound. Officers located a blood trail on the pavement of the parking lot near a gold, 2014 Chevy Cruze. The officers observed that there was blood on the Cruze and located an “AR” style pistol underneath the car. The firearm was a Fort Barnes Armory, semi-automatic pistol equipped with a 30-round, high-capacity magazine and loaded with 19 rounds of assorted ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. The shooting was captured on Great Southern Bank surveillance cameras, which depicted Grant Jr. walking through a crowd, approaching an individual, and lifting the front of his shirt, revealing a firearm in the front of his waistband. Later investigation revealed that Grant Jr. made threats against the individual that he approached. Grant Jr. then placed his right hand on the firearm and began pulling it from his waistband, while exchanging words with the individual, who then pulled a pistol and shot multiple rounds toward Grant Jr. and his companion, striking both. As innocent bystanders ran from the area, Grant Jr. fled northbound, removing the firearm from his waistband. After snaking his way through the parking lot, Grant Jr. can be seen kneeling by the Cruze and placing the gun under the car before walking away from the scene as officers were beginning to arrive. The firearm possessed by Grant Jr. was found to have been stolen. On the day of the shooting, Grant Jr. was already on probation for felon in possession of a firearm out of Pettis County, Mo., and had only been released from prison approximately two months prior to July 20, 2025. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Operation Take Back AmericaThis case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.