KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A family and school as well as the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department and community are reeling after the loss of a bright, friendly and fiercely protective 6-year-old boy.
Sir'Antonio Brown was shot and killed around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 3100 block of Greeley Avenue in KCK.
“It was three guys, in masks up at the corner and shot down this way,” Shawna Davis-Scott, Sir’s great aunt, said.
Davis-Scott said it was a targeted ambush. KCK police said "multiple gunmen" fired at least 37 rounds during the shooting.
Davis-Scott said she and her sister — Sir's mother, Shayna Davis — are neighbors and multiple generations of the family are often in the neighborhood, hanging out on the back porch or playing outside in the front yard.
Davis-Scott said Sir and another child in the family were playing on the side of the road when the shooting happened.
“Sir was one of the most loving young men ever,” Davis-Scott said.
She described Sir as a little brother to everyone, a ball of energy who was always looking out for others.
“Sir felt like he was the protector of this family,” Davis-Scott said. “We talked about him this morning, He loved karate (and) motorcycles. He wanted one of his own and he wanted to make sure his family was OK.”
Sir was a kid whose priorities included big wheels, school, snacks and the people who loved him.
“He loved to eat, (and) he would run between the two houses no matter what you would say,” Davis-Scott said. “He would eat in both houses. He knew exactly what he was coming to eat. He knew he was going to play, he knew he could plan his whole day and knew exactly what was going to happen.”
Sir's great aunt and kindergarten teacher, Amanda Mynatt, recognized the heartfelt moments of a child’s innocence in between immense grief.
“It’s painful, I would joke he’s my 'school son,'" Mynatt said. "He’s definitely asked when sometimes you could get something from the prize box and he’d be like, ‘Can I get fruit snacks instead?’ He loved some snacks. He was so charismatic, he never sat still, he would be doing cartwheels across the carpet, and everyone loved him.”
Mynatt said his classmates don’t yet understand the gravity of Sir's death. His family told KSHB 41 how much he loved his teacher and principal.
“He could already read, he could add and subtract," Mynatt said. "I just saw so much growth and potential. It makes me feel good to know that I mattered to him as much as he mattered to me.”
West Park Elementary School, Sir's family and the wider community called for unity amid the outpouring of grief.
Multiple counselors spent the day in Mynatt’s classroom, offering adult support as several students expressed their feelings through drawings.
West Park Principal Dr. Angela Wright said they called an all-staff meeting this morning once Sir was identified. She said she’s lost students to car accidents or medical conditions before, but never to gun violence.
“Sir was a very good kid, smart kid, loved school learned a lot,” Wright said. “From the beginning of the school year until now, it’s just devastating. When I think of Sir, I smile. I go into his classroom, and he would give me a hug. He was full of energy, very energetic. He was excited about learning,”
Wright plans to honor Sir during the school's kindergarten promotion at the end of the year.
“I want our team to make a decision (on how) to honor him, because he’s well worth honoring,” she said.
Surveillance video shows the suspect vehicle drive by the man police believe was targeted in the shooting, who was inspecting a parked car as two children played nearby.
It would have been difficult, perhaps impossible, for the shooters not to notice the children as they passed and before they opened fire, police said.
“I want them caught, locked up, not a chance to be put back on these streets,” she said.
Police found the suspect vehicle Thursday morning in Kansas City, Missouri, but are still seeking information about the shooters.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) with anonymous information to help solve Sir's murder.
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