A local Missouri sportswriter is dead at 50, and answers on just what happened remain scarce. Dennis Andrew Sharkey, who primarily covered high school sports for The Platte County Citizen, was found with a gunshot wound in his crashed car on Interstate 29 just outside Kansas City Friday evening, one day after his 50th birthday. He was transported to hospital, but passed away there.
On Tuesday afternoon, a group of around 20 relatives and friends of Sharkey gathered outside the Chiefs’ stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium). They chose that location because Sharkey was a devoted Chiefs’ fan and regular tailgater, and had planned to attend the team’s home playoff game against the Houston Texans Saturday. And they called for anyone who had information in his shooting to come forward. Here’s more on that from Ilana Arougheti of The Kansas City Star:
“He was a great man, and he always made you smile,” Sharkey’s cousin Samantha Sharkey said at Tuesday’s gathering. “If you saw anything, please don’t be afraid. It would help us a lot.”
…Samantha Sharkey and other friends and relatives said they feel Sharkey’s death was “senseless” and seemingly random. Some believe the shooting might have been the result of road rage.
A cautious driver, Sharkey was known for sticking to the speed limit, almost to a fault, said Sadie Grigsby. Sharkey had been a longtime friend of her mother, Grigsby said, and she had grown up with him as a “bonus uncle.” “He’s not the type of person to ever get wrapped up in anything like this,” Grigsby said. “It doesn’t make any sense. This is one of the most messed up things we’ve had to go through as a group.”
As per that piece, Sharkey’s work for the Citizen saw him mostly covering high school sports north of the Missouri River, where he was quite popular with many of the athletes he covered. Samantha Sharkey said he may have been on his way home from covering a high school girls’ wrestling match when he was shot.
Sharkey’s friends and family plan to celebrate him at the Chiefs’ game this weekend. Isabella Ledonne of Kansas City NBC affiliate KSHB has more on that:
“If the Chiefs told him to get loud, he got loud,” his family said. “He was part of the kingdom.”
…”He’ll be remembered. His jersey will be up there,” Richard Brand, a family friend, said.
…”On Saturday I’m going to march down that yellow brick road like he always did,” [Sadie] Grigsby said. “I’m going to yell extra loud, and maybe fan assistance will remove me.”
This is a particularly tough time for the Sharkey family, as Dennis’ mother lost her husband a few days prior to his passing. Samantha Sharkey has organized a GoFundMe page to support her aunt, with that raising more than $12,000 through Wednesday night.
We send our best wishes to Sharkey’s family and friends in this tough time. Anyone who has information on the shooting can contact the Platte County Sheriff’s Department at 816-474-TIPS.
