KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City family is still desperate for answers one year after a shooting outside a busy shopping center.
Darrell Allen, 25, was shot and killed last May near Genesis Health Club at Ward Parkway Center.
His family firmly believes someone knows exactly who did this and why, and they’re begging for someone to come forward.
“He was just a real fun-loving guy. He was just a bright light in every room,” said Darrell’s sister, Canisha Allen.
Darrell grew up here, but he and his sister Canisha decided to get a fresh start and get away from the violence in Kansas City by moving to Austin, Texas. Last May, they came home to visit their mom, Carmen, for Mother’s Day.
“I ended up leaving without him,” Canisha said.
That’s because Darrell was murdered, and the case remains unsolved.
Darrell was passionate about fitness, his family said.
“His body was his temple. He loved to workout,” Canisha said.
As he left Genesis gym on Ward Parkway just before 10 p.m. May 16, 2018, he became the target of a brazen attack.
Police said a black male with a white towel or shirt covering his head charged after him. The gunman hid a hundred yards, firing 30 shots, before leaving him to die in the parking lot and fleeing in a dark car.
“It doesn’t seem real. It doesn’t seem like it’s something possible. So the shock is never ending,” Canisha said.
Darrell carried a Nike backpack everywhere he went. It’s now riddled with bullet holes. But his mom, Carmen, now has it with her everywhere she goes, along with a necklace made from his ashes.
“Just to feel his presence and know that he’s with me,” Carmen said.
She said the pain of losing her son is relentless and exhausting. This family hopes someone will see that pain and help their journey of healing, by stepping forward with information that could help finally crack this case.
“People know, and your just as wrong as the people who pulled the trigger if you know something and didn’t say anything,” Canisha said.
Darrell’s family believes someone bold enough to shoot someone in a crowded shopping center is a danger to the community and getting his killer of the streets might just help save someone else’s life.
There’s still up to a $10,000 reward on the table for information leading to an arrest. You can report a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.