FBI Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive arrested in High Springs

Staff report

Updated at 6:30 p.m. with additional information from the FBI.

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – Kashawn Roper, 50, a fugitive on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list, was arrested today by High Springs Police Department (HSPD) officers during a traffic stop.

According to a release from HSPD that did not name the fugitive, officers conducted a traffic stop at about 10:21 a.m. on April 15 after receiving information about a person believed to be associated with an active federal fugitive investigation. Alachua County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance during the traffic stop.

Kashawn Roper was booked into the Alachua County Jail at 12:02 p.m. and listed as an out-of-state fugitive, and she is listed on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted page (see flyer below).

According to the FBI’s website, Roper is wanted for her alleged involvement in a shooting on August 23, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri. During an altercation, it is alleged that Roper fired multiple shots at a car that struck two female victims, resulting in the death of one of them. On September 10, 2020, Roper was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon in the 16th Judicial Circuit, Jackson County, Missouri, and a state warrant was issued for her arrest. On July 1, 2021, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Roper in the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, after she was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Update from the FBI

On April 14, the FBI announced that Roper had been added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and that the FBI was offering an up-to-$1-million reward for information.

Around the same time, FBI Jacksonville received information regarding Roper’s potential location in the area and began to pursue investigative leads with assistance from the Gainesville Police Department. Following the FBI’s announcement, credible tips were received which resulted in the apprehension of Roper by the High Springs Police Department.