Kansas City mayor calls for reform after fatal shooting of local chef Shaun Brady

The Kansas City community is mourning the death of local chef Shaun Brady, whom police said was gunned down while taking out the trash in the parking lot of his restaurant.

The owner of the Brady & Fox restaurant was known for his contributions to the local Irish community and to the Kansas City Irish Festival, which is set to take place this weekend, according to a statement posted to the Kansas City Irish Festival's Facebook page.

In the wake of the shooting Wednesday night, Mayor Quinton Lucas extended his condolences to Brady's family and called for change in the city that he says has suffered an increase in violent crime in recent months.

"Like many, I was heartbroken to learn of the death of Shaun Brady. Having met him, I was inspired by the community he was building in Kansas City," Lucas said in a statement Thursday. "More distress comes in knowing how he died -- due to violence arising once more in our community," Lucas added.

The shooting took place Wednesday around 5:15 p.m. at the Brady & Fox restaurant, also known as Brady's KC, in the Brookside neighborhood of the Missouri city, the Kansas City Police Department confirmed to ABC News.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was taking out trash when he "observed multiple subjects by a vehicle," police said. An interaction between the victim and subjects occurred that led to the victim being shot, police added.

Two teenage male suspects were taken into custody within an hour of the deadly shooting and a vehicle was recovered in Midtown, according to police, who further said that the shooting is being investigated as a homicide and the suspects are being held pending further investigation.

In a separate statement posted to Facebook, Mayor Lucas said Brady's death comes as business owners in the area have spoken out about crime in the area.

"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 said in the statement, in part.

Gun violence in Kansas City came into national focus in February when the city's Super Bowl parade ended in tragedy when one person was killed and 20 injured when shots were fired during a victory gathering outside of Union Station.

Lucas, who was present at the Chiefs' parade, then called that shooting "an incredible disappointment."

Kansas City recorded its deadliest year on record in 2023, with the Kansas City Police Department's daily homicide analysis showing 182 homicides. That's 12 more than in 2022 and three more than the city's previous all-time high, which was 179 homicides in 2020.