Update | KCPD released the identities of the three victims in the homicide.
They were identified as 24-year-old Kanen X. Wheaton, 23-year-old Johnnai Owens and 24-year-old Devon Key.
Original story | The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is investigating a triple homicide at 28th and Spruce.
Officers were dispatched on a call of gunshots to 27th and Spruce that was elevated to a shooting call with multiple victims while en route.
The shooting happened Saturday just before 4 p.m.
When officers arrived, they found three unresponsive shooting victims — one female and two males.
Emergency Medical Services declared all three victims deceased on scene.
KCPD has not released the names of the victims, but families on scene spoke with KSHB 41 News.
William King, grandfather to 23-year-old Johnnai Owens, one of the victims of this triple homicide, said he is shocked.
"What I heard was she was going to a birthday party with one of her friends and are over here to meet up, they was only there 10 minutes and a black SUV drove down the street shooting into the crowd and killed three people," King said.
King described Owens as a kind and god-fearing young lady whose death is truly devastating and heartbreaking to all who knew her.
"My daughter, she can't believe it right now, and it caught us at a time where we don't have any funds, we don’t have any way of doing this, and we are already in a bad place, but now this put us in a deeper hole," King said.
KSHB 41 News also spoke with the mother and father of 25-year-old victim Kanen Wheaton's family. Off-camera the family said they too are devastated by the loss and are begging anyone to come forward with answers.
Detectives are canvassing witnesses as crime scene investigators process the evidence.
KCPD spokesperson Jake Becchina stressed the importance of the public providing any information regarding this incident.
"We don't have a lot of information on what led up to this right now. We are really going to need the public's help in this case," Becchina said. "These three deceased people here are gonna need the public's help to find out exactly what happened to them."
Anyone with information is asked to call 816-474-TIPS (8477) or the KCPD homicide unit at 816-234-5043.
There is a $25,000 reward for providing information that leads to an arrest in this case.
Becchina said that no matter what led to the shooting, an argument or other circumstance, it "didn't need to come to this."
"Talking to detectives and getting the people responsible for this identified and apprehended, that's what keeps another block from having to experience gun violence like this or another gun violence episode," Becchina said. "Whether somebody's killed or not, just hearing gunfire — I mean, all of these things are things that people shouldn't have to experience."
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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 KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
