Man charged in fatal Kansas City apartment shooting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County prosecutors have charged a 22-year-old Kansas City man in connection with a shooting that left a 23-year-old woman dead.

Travon Marcel Oliver was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.

The shooting was reported Wednesday, June 26, shortly after 12 p.m. in the area of ​​E. Linwood Boulevard and Garfield Avenue.

When officers arrived on scene, they found a woman inside the building with an apparent gunshot wound to the left side of her head. She was pronounced dead at the scene and identified as Chestina Gaskin.

Oliver initially said several men entered the apartment and shot the victim, but he later recanted his statement, according to court documents.

Oliver said he and the victim came to the apartment to spend time together. At one point, the victim accused Oliver of being unfaithful, and they then got into a verbal argument, according to court documents.

According to court documents, Oliver said the victim picked up his firearm off a table. He then said he “snapped” it out of her hands and started backing away. He added that as he walked away from the victim, the firearm “went off” while he was holding it, striking the victim in the head.

A silver 9mm Ruger pistol was later found in the bushes behind the building.

Oliver is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $150,000 bail.

A bail review hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 8 at 1:30 p.m.