KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three people were shot to death in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, bringing the total number of homicides for 2019 to 126.
Rosilyn Temple, of KC Mothers in Charge, said something has to be done “immediately.”
“Enough is enough,” Temple said. “I'm seriously saying three in three hours, we have to be out of our minds to allow this to happen in our community .”
The latest victim, identified as 18-year-old Xavier Young of Kansas City, was found just after 7 p.m. Wednesday at East 24th Street and Chelsea Avenue. Police were called to the 2400 block of Chelsea around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday night after receiving calls about multiple gunshots in front of a residence.
Once officers arrived on scene, bystanders, according to police, directed them to a shooting victim who was on a front porch. Young was pronounced dead at the scene.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Less than an hour earlier, one person was killed atEast 31st Street and Van Brunt Boulevard. Police said the victim in this case, who was pronounced dead at a nearby McDonald's, is female. The victim was driven to the restaurant for help. A $25,000 reward also is being offered in this case.
The first of the day’s homicides, for which police also have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, occurred shortly after 3 p.m. at the5200 block of Olive Street.
Sgt. Jake Becchina, of the Kansas City Police Department, said there was about a two-week stretch before Wednesday night where the city had only two homicides.
“Two homicides is two -too many,” Becchina said. “A two-week stretch was a good amount of time. We work tirelessly to prevent homicides, work with community groups, to do pro-active work to stop disagreements or arguments that lead to homicides.”
At this time last year, Kansas City had 116 homicides.
The 2019 year-to-date homicide total for Kansas City is the same today as it was on this date in 2017.
Police said there is no indication that the three shootings are connected.
