Sikeston police chief points to gun violence in his community

SIKESTON, Missouri (KFVS) – As Sikeston police investigate a Monday morning shooting in a residential neighborhood, DPS Chief James McMillen decides to take an unusual step.

He played me the roughly five-second audio clip of the shooting, recorded by his department’s Shot Spotter system. The automatic gunshots sounded like something you’d hear in an action movie or video game.

“Can you say how many shots were fired?” I asked.

“We estimate it will probably be 25 to 30 rounds.”

Any idea how many weapons? I asked.

“Based on the audio, we believe there are three or four weapons involved.”

McMillen called the shooting in the 300 block of Magnolia Street a high-intensity incident — one that could be linked to the shooting in Charleston two hours earlier that left six people injured. No one was hurt. Officials say 25 to 30 shots struck two homes and several vehicles.

As the investigation continued, McMillen discovered that more and more guns were disappearing from the streets.

“We have seized or confiscated approximately 113 firearms since January 1.”

Surprised?

“That’s a lot. Yes, quite a lot.”

Sergeant Flint Dees showed me just a selection of the weapons they found – including a lot of rifles.

“Yes, many more rifles probably last two years. I don’t know the statistics, but they are very high.”

“And what is it about guns that you think you see more of today than in the past?” I asked.

“I think they’re very affordable,” Dees replied. “Many of them are even cheaper. They’re smaller, the bullets are more powerful. They go further, they go through things, they go through walls, they go through houses, cars – much more than the average handgun ammunition.”

Dees also showed me a brand of rifle that he says is very popular right now: a Draco AK 47 pistol.

“It’s much more powerful than a pistol. It shoots faster. Plus, it’s easier to shoot. I mean, if you shoot something with a rifle, it’s not a pistol, and even at that size, it’s considered a pistol.”

Chief McMillen told me that officers picked up two of the guns Dees showed me while investigating several shootings in a single day in mid-April.

“So you can see that within a 12-hour period we probably came across six different rifles and some other pistols and that about four people were shot.”

“What do you want your community to know when they hear this audio recording, when they see these weapons, when they hear you talk about the issue you’re dealing with – what do you want them to know?” I asked.

“We’re not alone in this problem. We see this in communities across the country. I mean, this is the current trend. But we need to deal with this locally, so I want them to know that this is happening in their hometown. And we need help solving these crimes. It’s a matter of life and death.”

Police Chief McMillen stressed that the best way to provide his department with information about this recent shooting or other crimes is through the anonymous hotline.

The number is (573) 475-3774.

He said that there is no caller ID associated with this number, so you will not be identified when you call.

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