Overland Park residents stunned after arson and shooting overnight

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) – It’s hard to imagine not being safe in your own home, but one Overland Park family woke up to this nightmare.

Police say early Friday morning, Sept. 27, someone tried to burn down a house with the family inside in the neighborhood across from Blue Valley High School on Outlook Boulevard.

The incident quickly escalated when a masked suspect was seen in a white SUV and then tried to set fire to the house across the pond where they were parked. When a neighbor took action and began shooting at the suspect, that person sped away. All this shook the neighborhood quite a bit.

“I knew it was getting serious when I saw him shoot that fireball,” said Dave Tschirhart of Overland Park.

Tschirhart said that while he was about to go to the gym, he noticed a masked person sneaking up to the house and trying to set the house on fire.

“I yelled at him to get on the ground or I’ll shoot,” Tschirhart recalled.

As a father, Dave told KCTV5 he only thinks about how to protect his neighbors because he knows the kids are home.

“I knew those little kids, we always watch them playing on the trampoline,” the father of six added. “So it’s just dad mode. I went to disable the car, which is what I was trying to do. I’m trying to hit the tires.”

Dave told KCTV5 the man opened fire on his car as he sped away. The gunshots echoed through the block, causing others running outside to become stunned when they saw the fire in the basement of their neighbor’s home.

“It kind of sounded like an explosion followed by a gunshot, and I didn’t really believe it at first,” said Tom Flanagan, who lives on Outlook Ave.. “Because this area is family friendly. There is no crime.”

“It’s so shocking, I can’t understand why anyone would want to do this to a family with young children,” Kenna Rambow said. “It is never right to do this. I can’t imagine who would want to do this. “It’s very scary.”

The family of four managed to escape the incident in time and no one was injured. Overland Park Police And Fire We are investigating but ask people not to contact such criminals.

“It is a crime to use a firearm within Overland Park city limits,” warned Officer John Lacy. “We spoke with the homeowner and told him that in the future, you should call 9-1-1, get as much information as possible, and let us respond to the scene.”

No one was arrested and police did not release any suspects they were looking for, but neighbors said they would be watching more at night and driving on the streets from now on, as some thought this family was being targeted. Additionally, more security cameras will be installed around their homes.

Outlook St. in Overland Park(KCTV)

157 St. in S. Overland Park. and Appearance(KCTV)