KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More than a dozen people were hurt or killed in shootings in Kansas City, Missouri, in less than two weeks.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department responded to four triple shootings this month.
They say Wednesday night at their 121st homicide, they found a 17-year-old killed in the street near 37th and Wayne.
Police say his name was Michael Parks, and like many other homicides, police are asking for witnesses to come forward.
But lately, Rosilyn Temple with KC Mothers in Charge says that’s been the issue.
“That’s been the whole problem in this community, and in this city, people do not come forward or speak out on what’s going on or who is committing these crimes,” Temple said. “That’s why we need people to step up and speak out, and let’s get these people off our streets.”
She says her community let her down after her son died.
“I’m standing here, and it’s been 10 years next November when my son was murdered, and no one has come forward, it is still an unsolved homicide,” Temple said.
Temple says she decided to become courageous and now helps at every homicide, encouraging others to come forward.
“We got to stop this, we just got to get some courage,” she said.
Cedric Butler lives down the street from where 17-year-old Parks was shot and killed. He says his son was killed the same way, and no one came forward.
“People have got to start saying something, they are going to have to, it has to stop, it can’t continue like this,” Butler said.
KCPD says they’ve cleared 53 homicides this year and solved but not cleared another 25 out of 121 total.
“People want to say, ‘It’s not my business.’ Well, yes, it is your business," Temple said. "What happened last night, it’s everybody’s business. A young man died here.”
As far as recent non-fatal shootings, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office says the large number of victims in these recent shootings is rare.
Historically, they say their office only receives 19% of KCPD non-fatal shooting cases.
Temple says until witnesses come forward, "nothing is going to change for us in our community."
KCPD still promotes up to $25,000 payouts for tips that lead to arrest.
