Four people were killed and a teen injured in multiple shootings over just two days over the Labor Day holiday weekend in Kansas City, police said.
Detectives were still actively investigating the murders as of Monday, said Officer Alayna Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.
The killings have pushed Kansas City’s homicide count to 138 this year, according to data from The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. There were 114 homicides at this time last year, ending up as the the second deadliest year on record with 171 homicides.
In 2020, 182 lives were lost, the highest number of homicides on record. As of Monday, Kansas City trailed just slightly off the pace of the deadliest year in its history.
Here’s what’s known about the murders over the holiday weekend.
Just before 4:45 a.m. Saturday, officers arrived at the 3100 block of Harrison Street to investigate a report of gunfire.
Upon arrival, police found two shot men lying on the ground in a parking lot. They didn’t respond, Gonzalez said. Medical workers arrived and pronounced the men dead.
Police have no interested person, Gonzalez said, and detectives were gathering more information and speaking to witnesses.
The victims were identified as Dillion Zino, 23, and Steven L. Williams, 28.
The third murder of the weekend was discovered a few hours later on Saturday morning.
Just after 10:30 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at the 300 block of Drury Avenue in Kansas City’s Indian Mound neighborhood.
Once there, officers found a man lying injured in the street, Gonzalez said. The victim was taken to a hospital where he died a short time later.
Detectives believe the shooting happened as a result of an altercation and altercation in the middle of the street, she said. The police had already received a report that there was unrest in the area.
The victim was identified as 28-year-old Leroy M. Purkett.
Another shooting took place Saturday night at the Country Club Plaza, injuring one teenager and keeping another in police custody.
Officers working off-duty heard gunshots shortly after 9 p.m., according to police. Police found a 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound near West 47th and Wyandotte Streets.
The victim was taken to hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene, where the police also found a firearm, according to the police.
“As a 14-year-old from Kansas City recovers from an alleged gunshot wound by a 15-year-old, we remain committed to something that shouldn’t be controversial — we are doing everything we can to get guns out of our kids’ hands,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The easy supply of guns on our streets is part of the problem that can be addressed.”
Last month, Lucas announced two proposed gun restrictions that he hoped would reduce homicides. One would ban minors from purchasing ammunition without parental consent, and the other would ban devices that turn handguns into automatic weapons.
The fourth murder of the weekend occurred around 3:45 a.m. on Sunday. Officers responded to a reported shooting near West Ninth and Jefferson streets.
Once there, people directed the officers to an area in West Terrarace Park at West Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, where they found an unconscious man with gunshot wounds.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
There were several witnesses in the park when the shooting took place, but they left the area when officers arrived. Investigators have not arrested anyone in the shooting.
Anyone with information about the weekend’s murders is asked to contact homicide detectives anonymously at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted to the TIPS Hotline.
Andrea Klick, Anna Spoerre and Jenna Thompson of The Star provided information for this story.
