Rental Center Co-Owner David Bledsoe Killed During Rental Center Robbery Attempt

May 13, 2011
Rental center co-owner David Bledsoe was shot and killed during a robbery attempt at Bledsoe’s Rentals in Kansas City last week.

Rental center co-owner David Bledsoe was shot and killed during a robbery attempt at Bledsoe’s Rentals in Kansas City last week.

According to Fox 4 television, two masked robbers armed with 9 mm handguns entered the store and demanded money. Bledsoe’s brother Jeff, who was working at the store, said that Bledsoe, who was sitting in a chair, raised his hands in a non-threatening way and said “You’re not gonna shoot anybody,” after which one of the robbers shot Bledsoe and took some cash from the register. Bledsoe pursued the robbers in his truck but only made it a couple of blocks before he stopped, got out of his truck and collapsed. He died while being transported to a hospital.

Jeff Bledsoe told Fox 4 that his brother was seated while shot and had done nothing to provoke the attack. Relatives said Bledsoe was well known in the neighborhood. The family-owned business had operated at the same corner for 65 years and a nephew said everybody in the neighborhood would come to him when they needed something fixed.

RER was unable to reach Bledsoe family members at press time and will provide more details when available. David Bledsoe, 50, a cancer survivor, was single.