A dispute over using the bathroom at a Midtown Kansas City Pizza Hut ended with a 40-year-old man shot twice from behind and a convicted felon now facing a first-degree murder charge. Marquez Canton, 23, is accused of fatally shooting Angelo Jones outside the restaurant near 39th and Main streets on August 7, following an argument that started when an employee told Jones there was no public restroom available.
According to KSHB 41 Kansas City, Kansas City police were called to the scene around 11:45 p.m. that night. Jones had asked to use the restroom, was told none was available for public use, and reportedly became agitated amid a communication dispute involving Canton and other witnesses before suggesting they step outside to fight, the station reports.
Multiple surveillance cameras captured Jones entering the Pizza Hut, leaving, and then returning, per the station's report. Canton allegedly shot Jones twice from behind, then fled the scene. Detectives used Uber ride records and phone data to identify Canton as a suspect, the same report notes.
Suspect's Account to Investigators
Per court documents cited in the same account, Canton admitted he was at the Pizza Hut that night with a close friend and his girlfriend. He claimed he felt threatened and said the victim clutched his waistband before suggesting a fight, though he also stated he never actually saw Jones with a weapon. Canton additionally admitted to running from the scene afterward and acknowledged knowing he was not allowed to possess a firearm.
Canton is a Kansas City, Missouri man previously convicted of first-degree attempted robbery, a conviction that underlies the unlawful possession charge now filed against him. He faces three counts in total: first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is currently held at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash-only bond and is due in court Wednesday for a bond review hearing, the outlet reports.
What Missouri Law Requires for a Murder Conviction
Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 565.020, first-degree murder is a Class A felony requiring prosecutors to prove a defendant knowingly caused death after deliberation, with adult offenders facing either life without parole or the death penalty. Deliberation under Missouri law does not require long-term planning and can occur in a matter of moments, according to Rose Legal Services. The legal proceedings will likely hinge on whether Canton's alleged actions meet that threshold, alongside the mandatory sentencing enhancements tied to the weapons charges.
The armed criminal action count carries its own consequences. Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.015 mandates a minimum three-year prison sentence for a first offense that must run consecutively to any underlying felony sentence, with no chance of probation or parole during those three years, per The Hartley Law Firm. Separately, the unlawful possession charge under § 571.070 is a Class D felony punishable by two to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, since Missouri law bars anyone with a prior state or federal felony from knowingly possessing a firearm.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Argument-Driven Violence
This case fits a pattern investigators have tracked throughout 2026: fatal gun violence erupting from minor verbal disputes involving people legally barred from having firearms. Kansas City Police Department records show 102 citywide homicides through October 3, down from 120 during the same period in 2025, with verbal arguments cited as the single leading known circumstance behind fatal shootings, according to the Kansas City Missouri Police Department. KCPD logged 139 total homicides in 2025.
The decline tracks with broader regional trends. Mid-year violent crime reports from the Major Cities Chiefs Association showed Kansas City homicides fell to a four-year low during the first half of 2026, as reported by Axios. The city recorded 71 homicides through mid-July 2026 compared to 89 during the same stretch in 2025. Officials have credited focused deterrence programs, coordinated between KCPD, local violence prevention groups like KC 360, and the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, as a primary driver behind the falling numbers, according to KCUR.
Canton could also face federal exposure separate from the state charges. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), anyone with a prior felony conviction punishable by more than one year in prison is barred from possessing firearms or ammunition, carrying potential federal penalties of up to 10 years, per the Bert Fulk Attorney At Law firm. That federal prohibition applies regardless of whether the underlying felony was violent or nonviolent.
How Prosecutors Typically Handle These Cases
Jackson County prosecutors have historically moved decisively once homicide cases reach their desks. Data compiled by the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney's Office shows a 91% conviction rate for closed homicide cases in 2024, with KCPD referring nearly 55% of all city homicides to prosecutors for formal charging decisions. Of 80 closed homicide cases that year, 68 were resolved through guilty pleas.
Hoodline has previously tracked similar argument-fueled shootings this year, including a Michigan Avenue killing and a suspected road-rage shooting outside a South Kansas City gas station. Those cases, like this one, relied heavily on digital evidence such as ride-share records and multi-camera surveillance footage to establish timelines and identify suspects. Anyone with information on Kansas City homicide cases can contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline, which offers anonymous tipsters cash rewards of up to $25,000 and assigns untraceable ID numbers to guarantee anonymity.
