text: Gunmen shot a Kansas City couple looking to buy their teenage son a car listed on Craigslist, then robbed them of $3,000, police say. 
   
   The 53-year-old father suffered four wounds to his chest, stomach and legs when he tried to shield his wife after two men pulled guns about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. One bullet shattered his 55-year-old wife's upper-right arm, KCTV reported. 
   
   Their 16-year-old son witnessed the attack but as not hurt. The family was not identified. 
   
   Police said that after the father and son finished test driving a 2007 Hyundai Sonata with a third suspect, the gunmen appeared and demanded money. They opened fire when the father stepped in front of his wife, then grabbed her purse and fled. Police later found the abandoned Hyundai and purse, minus the cash. 
   
   Some news accounts said the robbers stole the family's vehicle, which was not identified. 
   
   Police say the shooting may be connected to an armed robbery hours earlier of a man answering a Craigslist ad for an Xbox, the Kansas City Star reported. 
   
   Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1mmglGZ ||||| The robbery and shooting of two people in southeast Kansas City on Wednesday night may be related to another robbery a few hours earlier. 
   
   In both cases, the victims were held up while meeting someone to conduct a sale or purchase of items advertised on Craigslist, according to police reports. The robberies occurred within two miles of each other and involved three people armed with black handguns. 
   
   The first robbery was reported about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 8800 block of Crystal Avenue. The victim told police that he had gone to that location to sell an Xbox and accessories he had advertised on Craigslist. 
   
   According to police, one man approached the victim and was looking at the merchandise when two other people came up behind him. One showed a gun and they took his property and ran into nearby woods. 
   
   The second incident occurred just before 7:30 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 5500 block of East 84th Street. 
   
   A Liberty couple and their teenage son had gone there to look at a 2007 Hyundai Sonata advertised for sale on Craigslist. They talked to a man who identified himself as “AJ,” according to the police report. 
   
   The victims took the car for a test drive and started talking to “AJ” about buying it. He told them he had to call his wife and had walked away when two other people approached them, pulled black handguns and demanded their money. 
   
   When they pointed the guns at the woman, her husband stepped in front of her and the robbers began shooting. One grabbed the woman’s purse and shot the man one more time before they fled in the Hyundai, which was later found abandoned. 
   
   The man was shot four times. At the time of the report late Wednesday night, he was in surgery. The woman’s right upper arm was “shattered” by one shot, according to reports. Their son was not injured. 
   
   Kansas City robbery detectives said Thursday they were working on both cases. 
   
   Liberty-based Ferrellgas announced later Thursday that it has contributed $5,000 toward a reward to help catch the robbers. A total of up to $7,000 is now being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case. 
   
   Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. Callers can remain anonymous. 
   
   To reach Tony Rizzo, call 816-234-4435 or send email to trizzo@kcstar.com. ||||| Detectives are questioning four people about the shooting of a couple who were robbed while trying to buy their teenage son's first vehicle. 
   
   A father valiantly tried to shield his wife and teenage son from gunfire as they were robbed while responding to a car ad on Craigslist. 
   
   The Liberty couple was shot, robbed and had their vehicle stolen Wednesday night, and were left bleeding on the ground, police said. Empty shell casings were found near where they collapsed. 
   
   The 16-year-old boy was badly shaken up but he was not hit by the barrage of bullets thanks in part to his father's actions. The family was trying to purchase the teen's first vehicle. 
   
   The 53-year-old man was shot four times in the chest, stomach and legs and underwent surgery overnight. The 55-year-old woman's right upper arm shattered when she was struck by a single bullet. 
   
   Detectives released little about the four including when the four were taken into custody. Police do say the four are persons of interest in the crimes. 
   
   A couple who live in the Stone Haven Apartments in southeast Kansas City came to the couple's aid. 
   
   "I heard screaming so I ran up the hill to see what was going on and that's when I found the kid on his cell phone," said "J," who asked not to be identified since the suspects are still on the loose. 
   
   J turned to his girlfriend, Amber, who is a lifeguard. 
   
   "She told me to grab her rubber gloves," he said. 
   
   For what seemed like an eternity, they pressed down on the couple's wounds as they waited for police to arrive. 
   
   "It was scary but they needed help," Amber said. "I'm sure they showed up as fast as they could. The woman kept saying, 'I wish they would get here.'" 
   
   
   
   J tried to keep the man conscious but his injuries were devastating. 
   
   "I would talk to him and ask him questions then he would open his eyes and answer me and once again start to fade," J said. 
   
   Unfortunately, they said some people stood around watching but didn't provide any assistance. 
   
   "I was hoping someone else would join in but I'm just glad she (his girlfriend) was there telling me what to do," J said. 
   
   
   
   According to police, the family came to look at a white 2007 four-door Hyundai Sonesta they had spotted online. The father and teen test drove the vehicle with a suspect who called himself "AJ," according to a Kansas City Police Department report. 
   
   After completing the test drive, the victims and the suspect returned to the apartment complex. As the victims discussed purchasing the vehicle, the suspect said he needed to call his wife. He walked away from the family while on the phone. 
   
   Two men then approached armed with black handguns. 
   
   "The suspect stated, 'Give me the money!' When the victims stated they did not have any money, the suspects stated, 'I know you have the money, now, give me the money,'" according to the police report. 
   
   
   
   The teen told police that when the suspects pointed their weapons at his mother that his father stepped in front of her. The suspects then opened fire. 
   
   The second suspect reached into the vehicle and grabbed the woman's purse, which contained $3,000. As he turned to leave, the suspect pointed his gun at the father's chest "and fired one last time," according to the Kansas City Police Department report. 
   
   The suspects fled in the Hyundai. 
   
   The incident was reported about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the area of East 84th Terrace and Drury Circle, located west of Interstate 435. 
   
   Police recovered the Hyundai in the 4200 block of East 68th Street, which is nearby the original crime scene. 
   
   The three suspects remain at large. The police report only identifies the suspects as three black men who were in their late 20s or early 30s, but does not provide additional details. 
   
   Police have not released a detailed description of the suspects or said why four were detained rather than three. 
   
   Police advise when meeting someone for an online sale to use caution and trust your instincts. You shouldn't go to unknown places but should go to a crowded area, a business or a police station. Don't bring cash. Instead, use money orders or cashiers checks. 
   
   
   
   Anyone with information is urged to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. 
   
   The normal $2,000 reward for tips has been increased to $7,000. Liberty-based Ferrellgas has made a $5,000 donation to Crime Stoppers. The injured man works for the company. 
   
   Ferrellgas' Scott Brockelmeyer said the company already worked with Crime Stoppers, but wanted to do more to help catch those responsible for the horrific crimes. 
   
   "You see those type of reports on the news and it's like that never happens to a friend," he said. "And it did in this case. It opened our eyes, and like I said, it prompted us to do something that I'm very proud that we did." 
   
   Brockelmeyer said his co-worker is a kind and considerate man and a great father. 
   
   "You start to think about people like that and you hear people describe people like that as somebody who'll take a bullet for you and I'll be darned if he didn't do that. He's a hero. He's an absolute hero," he said. 
   
   
   
   Copyright 2014 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.
target: – A Kansas City couple who went to check out a car they saw on Craigslist were shot and robbed Wednesday night, USA Today reports. They had wanted to purchase the vehicle for their 16-year-old son, who was with them but not injured. Police say the 53-year-old dad and his son had test-driven a 2007 Hyundai Sonata and were discussing payment when the seller said he had to call his wife and momentarily walked away, according to KCTV. That’s when two other men reportedly approached the family and demanded cash, then started shooting. As the dad tried to keep his wife and son out of the barrage of bullets, he was shot four times in the chest, stomach, and legs, while his 55-year-old wife took a bullet to her upper right arm, which was “shattered,” reports the TV station. The men took the wife's purse, which had $3,000 in cash for the car purchase, say police. Authorities believe the incident may be related to an earlier armed robbery that day in which a Kansas City man says he tried to sell his Xbox and gaming accessories to a man who saw his ad on Craigslist, reports the Kansas City Star. As the potential buyer was examining the wares, two other men reportedly arrived sporting a gun; the three men then lifted the Xbox and other items and ran into nearby woods, police say.