LEAWOOD, KS — A 32-year-old employee at the Healthcare Resort of Leawood has been charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly shooting a coworker during an early morning confrontation at the senior care facility on February 10, 2026. Darrick Dekovan Miller of Kansas City, Missouri, was taken into custody following the incident that occurred around 3:30 a.m. near West 143rd Street and Nall Avenue, according to Leawood Police Department records.
As reported by local authorities, the shooting stemmed from a dispute between Miller and another male employee at the 70-bed facility. According to court affidavit documents, the confrontation was related to a personal matter involving threatening text messages exchanged between the two workers. Security footage from the facility showed Miller using a keycard to access the building, walking to the nurse's station area, and firing multiple shots at his coworker who was seated in the dining area, as detailed in charging documents.
The victim took defensive cover as gunfire erupted inside the facility. Investigators examining the scene found at least five bullet impact points in walls and one bullet hole through a window near where the victim had been seated, according to the affidavit. The targeted employee returned fire once before escaping through a locked kitchen door to safety. Despite the exchange of gunfire between the two staff members, no residents at the senior care facility were harmed or involved in the incident, police confirmed.
Miller fled the scene immediately after the shooting but was arrested nearby by Leawood Police. The other employee involved remained at the facility following the incident. Miller was booked into the Johnson County jail on Tuesday morning and held on a $750,000 cash or surety bond. He made his first court appearance at the Johnson County District Courthouse on Wednesday, February 11, one day after the shooting occurred. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for February 18, 2026.
Attempted first-degree murder is classified as a level 1 felony under Kansas law, representing one of the most serious criminal charges in the state. If convicted, Miller could face a sentence of up to life in prison, according to Kansas sentencing guidelines.
CMS Inspection History
The Healthcare Resort of Leawood operates as a for-profit limited liability company with a current overall rating of three out of five stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The facility's performance ratings show areas of concern, particularly in health inspections, which received a two-star rating, while staffing earned three stars and quality measures received the highest rating of five stars.
Federal inspection records show the facility has accumulated 41 total deficiencies across 10 inspections since tracking began. The most recent CMS inspection, conducted on November 16, 2023, identified multiple areas requiring corrective action. Surveyors cited the facility for failing to ensure the nursing home area was free from accident hazards and provided adequate supervision to prevent accidents, a violation classified at severity level E.
Additional deficiencies from the November 2023 inspection included failures to provide appropriate care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for residents unable to do so independently, and inadequate care for residents requiring bowel and bladder continence management and catheter care. Inspectors also found the facility failed to provide sufficient food and fluids to maintain residents' health and did not ensure licensed pharmacists performed required monthly drug regimen reviews according to federal standards.
The facility's health inspection rating of two stars places it below the national average for nursing home safety and quality metrics, indicating ongoing challenges in meeting federal care standards despite its higher performance in quality measures.
Resources for Families
Residents and family members with concerns about care quality or safety at nursing homes in Kansas can contact the Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-877-662-8362. The ombudsman program provides free, confidential assistance to residents of long-term care facilities and helps resolve complaints about care, rights violations, and quality of life issues.
Additional support is available through the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center at 1-800-677-1116 or online at https://ltcombudsman.org. Families can also report serious incidents or ongoing care concerns directly to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees nursing home licensing and regulation in the state.
Anyone witnessing immediate danger to residents should contact local law enforcement or call 911. Non-emergency complaints about care quality can be filed with the state survey agency, which conducts inspections and investigates allegations of substandard care or regulatory violations at licensed facilities.
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