One or more shooters opened fire on a child playing in the front yard of a Kansas home, killing him, authorities said. The attack Wednesday evening in Kansas City, Kansas, when it was still daylight, doesn't appear to have been a "random act," police Maj. Violeta Magee told reporters at the scene.
Police didn't release the name or age of the child but family member identified the victim as 6-year-old Sir'Antonio Brown, CBS affiliate KCTV reported.
KCK police are asking anyone with information about the suspects who shot and killed 6-year-old Sir’Antonio Brown to call 816-474-TIPS.
They found suspect vehicle. Still searching for suspects. Extra counselors are offering support to his kindergarten classmates. @KCTV5 4,5,6PM pic.twitter.com/lSp3ZeqVE1 — Emily Rittman KCTV5 (@EmilyRittman) May 4, 2023
Officers found the wounded boy in the front yard. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Magee said.
"Somebody knows who did this," Police Deputy Chief George Sims told KCTV. "Do not retaliate. Do not confront them. Do not shelter them. Call TIPS. Call the police department, so that we can follow up and bring this investigation to a quick conclusion and bring these shooters to justice."
Police found more than 30 shell casings at the scene. They were looking for a maroon Subaru Legacy with a missing front bumper that may be connected to the attack and KCTV reported they located the car.
Police haven't said whether they think more than one person was involved in the attack, or whether the intended target was the boy or the adult he was with. Police didn't immediately respond Thursday to phone and email messages seeking additional information.
"Sir was my godson," Shyneisha Hill told KCTV. "I just want the people that did this brought to justice. Sir deserves justice. No 6-year-old deserves that. No child deserves that. No parent deserves what my cousin is going through."
Just hours before the deadly shooting, Sir was in kindergarten class at West Park Elementary School, the station reported.
"He always has something silly or witty to say," teacher Amanda Mynatt told KCTV. "Yesterday, I told him to sit still. So, he started pretending to sleepwalk rather than sit still. He is a jokester but also really smart. Has a lot of friends."
afterdarkdingo on May 5th, 2023 at 14:17 UTC »
I live in the KCMO area right now. I'm in what some would call a pretty 'sketchy' area, but have personally never had any issues. I'm definitely the minority in my neighborhood, but I've never felt uncomfortable with anyone I meet or live by. However... I do live just a couple of houses down from a gas station where there have been multiple cases of gunshots in the last year, most involving deaths, some of which were just teens. The two most shocking were in broad daylight on peaceful weekend days. My windows were open so I got to hear the lovely sound of people screaming and dying outside. I'm moving way out of the state because I just can't take it anymore. I'm fortunate enough to have the means to relocate, but I can't help but get emotional when I think about the kids and families that can't do anything but live here and take it.
Outside of general violence though, there is a large distrust for the KCPD right now. A recent article highlighted the lack of care the police give to lower income areas (told not to even respond), confirmed they had quotas (mainly achieved in those low income areas), and are generally pretty racist all the way to the top. For example, there was recently a case of a man kidnapping several young black prostitutes and keeping them in his basement/killing them while his family lived upstairs. People were begging the police to at least look into it, but they ignored it as the number of missing victims was nearing double digits. They only started to take it seriously when one of the kidnapped girls somehow escaped that horrible basement and ran for her life.
KC really, truly is an amazing place, I love it to death, but in recent years there has been a noticeable increase in all types of crime and it's hurting a lot of innocent people. I appreciate that downtown KC is incredibly safe, but that's unfortunately not very helpful since barely anyone actually lives there.
Epcplayer on May 5th, 2023 at 12:46 UTC »
Very clearly gang related when the police are essentially begging the other gang not to retaliate.
zuzg on May 5th, 2023 at 12:37 UTC »
Kansas city's homicide rate in 2023 is already 20 % higher then it was in 2022 at this point of the year.
Tf Is happening over there?