Jaiair Strong, 15, was gunned down late Monday morning. His family, still in shock, are still searching for answers.
Why would someone kill Jaiair? Who is responsible?
"He's a very likable kid and he got along with anybody. He wasn't a trouble starter, you just didn't get that from him, he was a jokester," said Ivar Strong, Jaiair's father.
Police have one suspect in custody and confirmed they currently have no other suspects. However, as Jaiair's family awaits charges from the county prosecutor, they believe there's still a lot of work to be done.
"There's at least three to five people that they need to pick up, including women, girls," said Tanya Hughes, Jaiair's mother.
According to friends and family, Jaiair was a student at Raytown High school and excelled on a basketball travel team.
"He was just genuine as a person. I can just attest to that from how he treated me when I was in the hospital, him coming to see me," said Todd Johnson, Jaiair's basketball coach who said the teen helped him get through a tough bout with cancer.
The Raytown School District released the following statement:
The Raytown School District learned late Monday of the shooting death of a district student. We are saddened by this loss, and our hearts go out to the victim's family and friends. Counselors and other school professionals are available to assist grieving students and staff.
There will be a vigil for Jaiair at 4 p.m. Thursday at the corner of Willow and 39th in Kansas City, Mo.
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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com.
