Left inset: Laken Logan (Jackson County Sheriff's Office). Right inset: Cleveland Wright (Facebook). Background: The intersection of NE Chouteau Trafficway and Gardner Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., where Laken Logan allegedly opened fire on Cleveland Wright during a road rage attack (KMBC).
A 57-year-old Missouri man "completing grocery delivery orders" with his wife was shot in the head and killed by an angry driver during a road rage attack, cops say.
"I killed a man that did not deserve it," Laken Logan, 20, allegedly told police about the Sept. 23 shooting, according to a probable cause statement.
Cleveland Wright, the victim, was driving with his wife near the intersection of NE Chouteau Trafficway and Gardner Avenue in Kansas City just before 8:30 p.m. when Logan opened fire on him following an interaction at a red light, cops say.
Wright had allegedly passed Logan "very closely" on the passenger side while Logan was attempting to speed up "to get ahead of cars," according to a co-worker of Logan's who was with him in his 2025 Chevrolet Trax when the incident occurred and spoke to police.
"Laken turned back onto Chouteau Trafficway, and began to follow the car," the co-worker alleged. "Laken was turning red and was mad. [The co-worker] told Laken to 'chill.' Laken pulled alongside the passenger side of the other car and said, "Who you trying to hit boy?!' [The co-worker] observed Laken to be holding a pistol in his right hand."
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According to the probable cause statement, Logan admitted to telling Wright, "Watch how you're driving boy!" along with chasing after him. He claimed that Wright "swerved into his lane" and when he confronted Wright about it at the light the victim "showed a gun," per the court documents.
"Laken got scared, so he fired multiple shots," police allege, citing Logan's statements to detectives. "[Logan] fired multiple shots towards the back windshield area of the other car. He first stated he was aiming for the driver's side of the car, but then said he did not know what he was aiming at."
Logan's co-worker told police Wright "was holding his arm up, but it was not pointed in their direction." He said that he could not see if there was anything in his hand at the time of the shooting, which unfolded while they were out getting food.
"Laken drove away, and [the co-worker] asked him, 'Why did you do that?' to which Laken replied multiple times 'Bro, I don't know,'" according to the probable cause statement. "They drove back to their place of employment, and finished their shift."
Wright's wife allegedly admitted to police that he had a gun on him that night, with cops finding a Taurus 9 mm handgun in the front driver seat floorboard. It had a live round in the chamber but the weapon was not fired, per investigators.
"[The wife] observed [Wright] reach for what she thought was a firearm in the car, and shortly after that she heard several apparent gunshots," police allege. Wright began "bleeding heavily," according to his wife, and crashed their Honda Civic CRZ into the median. A bullet was later found "lodged in his head," per police.
Logan allegedly gave multiple stories about what he did with the gun — a Taurus G3 9 mm handgun — after the incident, according to investigators.
"Laken initially said he threw it in the Missouri River," the probable cause statement says. "He then stated he sold it to an unknown male … He then changed his story again to say he sold it to [a different male]."
Police tracked Logan down using surveillance footage that showed him fleeing in his SUV. He was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
One of Wright's family members posted about Logan's arrest on Facebook last week and wrote, "Judge don't sympathize and the court don't show forgiveness!"
The relative added, "Justice being served for the greatest pawpaw to ever do it. We love and miss you."
Authorities were holding Logan at the Jackson County Jail on a $750,000 bond Sunday. His initial court appearance is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday.
