This year Kansas City isn't only dealing with a rising murder count, the number of drive-shootings is staggering.
According to an analysis the Kansas City Police Department provided to 41 Action News, officers responded to 245 drive-by shootings through August of this year.
Compare that to from 163 the same time last year.
"The sense of peace and comfort has been completely ripped from us," Tamica Lige said soon after her home was hit by gunfire in early September.
There were at least 610 people considered victims in this year's drive-by shootings.
The bullets themselves didn't discriminate, shattering a politician’s car and injuring 106 people. Five of them didn't survive including 9-year-old Jayden Ugwuh and his 8-year-old cousin Montell Ross.
Rosilyn Temple, with KC Mothers-in-Charge knows the pain. Her son's murder the night before Thanksgiving in 2011 remains unsolved.
Antonio Thompson would have turned 31 this Saturday.
"We're letting so many families down by not speaking out. That's why there keep on being drive-bys. That's why keep on babies getting shot and killed [sic] even shot and wounded. A child shouldn't have to take a bullet no one should--my son shouldn't have taken a bullet in his own home," Temple said.
As of August, police tell us they have no suspect information in 199 of the 245 drive-by shootings.
"You should be in fear because that person is still walking on our streets. They're walking around our children, our schools, our churches, our homes," Temple said.
The statistics for September are expected to be released at the next board of police commissioners meeting set for Tuesday.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
