Kansas
Kansas judge throws out machine gun possession charge, cites Second Amendment
A federal judge in Kansas has tossed out a machine gun possession charge and questioned if bans on the weapons violate the Second Amendment.
If upheld on appeal, the ruling by U.S. District Judge John W. Broomes in Wichita could have a sweeping impact on the regulation of machine guns, including homemade automatic weapons that many police and prosecutors blame for fueling gun violence.
Broomes, an appointee of President Donald Trump, on Wednesday dismissed two machine gun possession counts against Tamori Morgan, who was indicted last year. Morgan was accused of possessing a model AM-15 .300-caliber machine gun and a machine gun conversion device known as a “Glock switch” that can make a semi-automatic weapon fire like a machine gun.
“The court finds that the Second Amendment applies to the weapons charged because they are ‘bearable arms’ within the original meaning of the amendment,” Broomes wrote. He added that the government “has the burden to show that the regulation is consistent with this nation’s historical firearm regulation tradition.”
As of Friday, no appeal had been filed. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wichita declined comment.
Federal prosecutors in the case said in earlier court filings that the “Supreme Court has made clear that regulations of machineguns fall outside the Second Amendment.”
A June 2022 Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen was seen as a major expansion of gun rights. The ruling said Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
Jacob Charles, an associate law professor at Pepperdine University who tracks Second Amendment cases, said the Kansas ruling is direct fallout from the Bruen decision.
“It gives lower court judges the ability to pick and choose the historical record in a way that they think the Second Amendment should be read,” Charles said.
Charles expects Broomes’ ruling to be overturned, citing Supreme Court precedent allowing for regulation of machine guns.
Communities across the U.S. have dealt with a surge of shootings carried out with weapons converted to fully automatic in recent years. These weapons are typically converted using small pieces of metal made with a 3D printer or ordered online.
Guns with conversion devices have been used in several mass shootings, including one that left four dead at a Sweet Sixteen party in Alabama last year and another that left six people dead in a bar district in Sacramento, California, in 2022. In Houston, police officer William Jeffrey died in 2021 after being shot with a converted gun while serving a warrant.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported a 570% increase in the number of conversion devices collected by police departments between 2017 and 2021, the most recent data available, The Associated Press reported in March.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A pedestrian hit by a vehicle near 31st and Mersington in Kansas City has died from injuries sustained in the crash, police say.
Officers responded to the area around 6:32 p.m. on Thursday on a report of a crash involving a pedestrian. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital with injuries that were initially believed to be non-life threatening.
Police said the driver of the vehicle was not injured, stopped immediately and remained at the crash and cooperated with police.
Police were notified late Friday morning the pedestrian died from their injuries.
The crash investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
We are once again starting the day with showers and storms. Rainfall will be heavy at times but severe weather is not expected with the activity that will swing through this morning. If it does happen to be dry where you are, you should still be prepared to experience some wet weather.
There will not be as much moisture around during the afternoon but there will still be some spotty showers and storms around, especially between Central and Eastern Kansas.
Most afternoon highs will still be below the norm but will also show some signs of warming where temperatures will reach the 70s.
Late evening storms will build into the southern half of the area. This will start after sundown.
These storms could become strong to severe. Wind and hail are the main threats.
Storm strength and severity will need to be monitored into the overnight. However, they should gradually start to weaken after that.
Some showers will linger into Saturday but the afternoon will not be as damp.
Highs tomorrow will be similar to today’s in the 60s and 70s.
We will once again need to watch out for some evening storms. They will move in from the west.
A sliver of Southwest Kansas and portions of the Oklahoma Panhandle could experience a strong to severe storm.
Any showers and thunderstorms will struggle to make it through the overnight. For the first time in a few days, early risers Sunday will start the day rain-free.
The rest of Memorial Day Weekend will be drier and warmer. However, another unsettled stretch follows.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A former PTA treasurer from Lee’s Summit has pleaded guilty to nine counts of bank and wire fraud after stealing more than $100,000 from the organization, according to federal officials.
Officials said Holly Mikkelsen could face up to 30 years in federal prison without parole.
From Aug. 17, 2020, to July 23, 2025, Mikkelsen served as treasurer of the Summit Pointe Elementary School Parent Teacher Association (SPE PTA) in Kansas City, Missouri. The group is a nonprofit, school-based volunteer organization.
Prosecutors said that while serving as treasurer, Mikkelsen made unauthorized withdrawals from the PTA’s checking accounts for her personal benefit. Investigators said the alleged theft included writing and signing checks in the nonprofit’s name payable to herself, using those funds for personal expenses, withdrawing cash from ATMs, and transferring SPE PTA money into her personal accounts.
“The council is taking immediate steps to strengthen financial accountability across all affiliated PTAs, including a full review of existing protocols, dual authorization requirements for financial transactions, board financial training, and consistent audit practices district-wide,” said Lorenzo Harrison, Council President of LSR7 PTA. “The community will be kept informed as this process moves forward.”
Sentencing for Mikkelsen is scheduled for Sept. 24.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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