KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A spate of violence Tuesday afternoon across Kansas City has police on both sides of the state line searching for suspects.
In Kansas, police in Kansas City, Kansas, said a 15-year-old boy was critically hurt in a shooting just before noon near 65th and Cleveland streets.
Later in the afternoon, the teen died from his injuries. Police said the suspect left the scene in a vehicle, but no other suspect info had been released.
In Kansas City, Missouri, one person died in a shooting around 1:30 p.m. in the 3500 block of Independence Avenue. No suspect information was immediately provided in the deadly shooting.
Then, around 2 p.m., police were called to a shooting near 52nd Street and Euclid Avenue. By the time police pieced together some of the details, two victims were located, one shot in the leg and another victim who’s injuries were described as life-threatening.
By early Tuesday evening, the victim with life-threatening injuries had died.
The violence continued around 2:30 p.m. when police were called to Sycamore Park near 109th Street and Sycamore Terrace. They found a victim and attempted to perform CPR, but the victim was later pronounced dead, becoming the city’s latest homicide.
That victim was later identified by family members as a 15-year-old student at nearby Ruskin High School.
By the end of the roughly three hour period, four people had died and another injured.
KCPD spokeswoman Leslie Foreman reiterated the department's request for anyone who might have seen anything to contact police.
"If nothing else, think of children that have to witness this, or the families that a child may not have a father or a mother, or whatever the circumstances are, or a parent may not have a son or daughter," she said.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker reacted to the rash of shootings on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.
"We need strategies to reduce violence rather than just quick response times and capable staff at local ERs," Peters Baker said.
Similarly, KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas took to Twitter, stating that his thoughts are with those affected by Tuesday's events.
"Region-wide, we can’t keep just doing the same thing," he said.
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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 41 Action News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the 41 Action News Mug Shot Policy.
