KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One man was found shot to death early Wednesday morning in Kansas City, Missouri, marking the city's 154th homicide and surpassing a deadly record with more than two months left in the year.
Shortly after 7 a.m., officers responded to a medical call in the 6600 block of Paseo Boulevard, where a man had been found in an alley, according to police.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said someone called 911 around 3 a.m. Wednesday to report the sound of gunshots in the area. Officers conducted a canvass and did not find anything. It's unknown if that call was related to the man's death, according to police.
The man's death brings the total number of homicides for the year in Kansas City, Missouri, to 154 — surpassing the deadliest year on record for the city, which was 153 in 1993.
Mayor Quinton Lucas, a Kansas City native, said Wednesday he was "heartbroken" over the number of people who have been killed in the city — not only this year, but in his lifetime.
"Saving young lives, black lives, and all lives has to be a central goal of what we do each day as a city," Lucas said in a statement. "I am heartbroken, but I resolve that by working in prevention and intervention we do not have to bury thousands more of our brothers and sisters over the decades ahead due to violence."
The mayor cited Richmond, Omaha and New York City as cities that have found success in dramatically lowering their homicide rates in recent decades.
Later Wednesday morning, KCPD had no suspect information available in the most recent homicide. Detectives and crime scene personnel were processing the scene for evidence and looking to speak with people in the area who may have seen or heard anything.
Anyone with information on the man's death is asked to contact the KCPD Homicide Unit at 816-234-5043 or the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Capt. Dave Jackson of @kcpolice speaks about the weight of this record-breaking homicide. He said he fears there will be more homicides over the next 70 days. pic.twitter.com/11kAA55b0n
— Charlie Keegan (@CharlieKeegan41) October 21, 2020
—
For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the 41 Action News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the 41 Action News Mug Shot Policy.
