Man accused of killing two in Kansas City nightclub shooting was under federal watch

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City man charged in a nightclub shooting that killed two women was under federal supervision and prohibited from possessing firearms when the attack occurred, court records show.

On Tuesday, the Jackson County Prosecutor, Melesa Johnson, announced charges against 27-year-old Dontae Brooks of Kansas City, Kansas. He is charged with 10 crimes:

• Two counts of 2nd degree murder
• Four counts of armed criminal action
• Assault 1st Degree Or Attempt - Serious Physical Injury Or Special Victim
• 2nd degree assault
• Unlawful Use Of Weapon - Subsection 9 - Shoot At/From Mv, At Person, Mv, Bldg - Death Or Injury
• Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm

According to court records, Kansas City police responded to the Club Status in the early morning of Sunday, Feb. 15, after reports of a shooting.

Two women died in the shooting: Eboni Silas and Tishauna Ballard.

A man was shot in the face and chest and taken to the hospital, where he is in stable condition. Another woman was shot in the leg and is recovering.

Court records state that surveillance video from inside the crowded nightclub shows Brooks entering while wearing a red baseball cap with a capital ‘A’ on the front. The footage captured an unknown man whispering to Brooks shortly before he opened fire on another man dancing nearby.

As people scattered, Brooks attempted to run but fell, knocking the cap he was wearing to the ground.

Investigators used the DNA on his baseball cap as well as a screenshot from the video to identify him. Brooks’s federal supervising officer saw the screenshot and confirmed it is her client.

Federal charges

The federal charges from 2019 mean Brooks should not have had a gun.

In 2019, Brooks was indicted on drug and firearm charges in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.

These charges included possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Brooks eventually pled guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. He also had to give up his firearm and ammunition to the government.

In August 2025, his supervision was modified after he had seven positive drug tests and missed three since his supervised release started in September 2024. It notes he also failed to obtain employment.

With Brooks being a convicted felon in the federal case, he could face harsher penalties as he was not supposed to have a firearm under Missouri law.

He is due back in court on Wednesday, February 25, at 1 p.m. for a bond review hearing.