Blue city mayor who supported defund police movement calls for more officers after popular chef’s murder

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who previously supported defunding police efforts, is now pushing to "increase patrols in areas reeling from ongoing criminal behavior" after the deadly shooting of a popular chef left the community reeling.   

Shaun Brady, a 44-year-old Irish immigrant, was shot dead outside the restaurant he owned Aug. 28 just after 5 p.m, police said.

"Preliminary investigation revealed the victim was taking out trash when he observed multiple subjects by a vehicle," Kansas City Police told Fox News Digital. "An interaction between the victim and subjects occurred that led to the victim being shot."

Officers responded, and Brady was taken to a hospital, where he died.

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"Like many in our community, I am heartbroken to learn of the death of Shaun Brady. I have met him, laughed with him, heard just a bit of his and his family's story and was inspired by the business and the community he was building in Kansas City. I grieve for and express my sincerest condolences to his family and all who knew him," Lucas said in a statement. 

"More distress comes in knowing how he died — due to violence arising once more in our community," he added. 

Gun violence in Kansas City made national headlines in February when shots were fired during the city's Super Bowl parade, leaving one person killed and more than 20 injured. 

Kansas City recorded its deadliest year on record in 2023 with 182 homicides, according to the Kansas City Police Department's daily homicide analysis.

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Lucas, who in 2022 sued the state of Missouri over a new law that required the city to increase funding for its police department, is now calling for a need to increase the presence of police.. 

"For years now, but more acutely in recent months, business owners in Brookside and Waldo, but also along Prospect, in the Crossroads, and throughout too much of our city have expressed serious concerns about a rise in property and nuisance crimes plaguing their stores, their parking lots, and their customers," Lucas wrote in his post. 

"Acknowledging the very real personnel staffing challenges we face, we must continue to work with KCPD and the public to best deploy officers to increase patrols in areas reeling from ongoing criminal behavior, such as break-ins, car thefts, and other repeat nuisance offenses."

Two teenagers were arrested and taken into custody within an hour of Brady's shooting, police said. Both teens have been charged with second-degree murder and remain in detention, the Jackson County Courthouse staff told Fox News Digital. They have also been charged with attempted stealing. 

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Brady co-owned and operated Brady & Fox Restaurant & Lounge, also known as Brady's KC, with chef and friend Graham Farris. 

He leaves behind a wife and two young children, according to a fundraising page for his family. 

"As a chef, Shaun Brady nourished his community not just with incredible food, but with a deep pride in his culture and a contagious enthusiasm for celebration," organizers of a GoFundMe page wrote. "The light he brought to our Irish community will endure through those touched by his talent, spirit, and joy for life."

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Brady was beloved by the Kansas City Irish community. 

"Our hearts are absolutely broken," the Kansas City Irish Festival wrote in a statement on Facebook. "His restaurant, Brady and Fox, was a place where many in the Irish community gathered. It was one of Shaun's greatest gifts to bring people together with his culinary creations."

The Kansas City mayor's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.