KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 4-year-old boy was shot and killed inside an apartment near East 63rd Street and Paseo Boulevard during the early-morning hours Monday in Kansas City, Missouri.
KCPD officers were alerted around 2:30 a.m. to a shooting that took place at the Citadel Apartments in the 1600 block of Bushman Road.
Police said a toddler, who was identified Monday afternoon as 4-year-old LeGend M. Taliferro, was asleep in an apartment when he was struck by gunfire that came from outside the apartment.
LeGend was transported by private vehicle to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
41 Action News spoke with Taliferro's mom, Charron Powell, last summer for a story on the 25th anniversary of the American Heart Association’s Kansas City Heart and Stroke Walk/5K.
Taliferro had a cardiac condition that required multiple open-heart surgeries.
Please pray for my friend Charron and her family. Little LeGend was shot and killed overnight. After a number of open heart surgeries, gun violence is what took his life. RIP LeGend 💔 pic.twitter.com/iQMD0UJZpv
— McKenzie Nelson (@McKenzieMNelson) June 29, 2020
KCPD spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said it is the 92nd homicide of 2020, far surpassing the rate at this same time last year.
“Obviously a young juvenile victim asleep inside of an apartment is really unfortunate," Becchina said. "Detectives are really hopeful someone will come forward with some bit of information to help point them to a suspect."
According to a post on KCPD's official Twitter account, the apartment was targeted and "this shooting was not random," based on the initial investigation.
Preliminary investigation determined this shooting was not random, and the apartment was targeted. There is a $25,000 CASH REWARD for information on Legend's killer. You can stay anonymous by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477).
— kcpolice (@kcpolice) June 29, 2020
Anyone with information about the shooting and Legend's death is asked to the KCPD Homicide Unit at 816-234-5043 or report a tip anonymously to the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
There may be a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Becchina said in an email that KCPD has yet to receive any tips regarding the case and will host a 2 p.m. press conference about the incident.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
