KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A robbery took a deadly turn in South Kansas City, sparking an outcry for homicides to stop as the number in 2017 reached 110. Monday’s killing happened near Blue Ridge Boulevard and Longview Road. Police call the last thing one man did inside a Boost Mobile store a heroic act.
Police cars and crime scene tape are becoming an all too familiar sight at the shopping center where Boost Mobile is housed, according to Jasmine Chapman.
“We are actually now looking to relocate because this is not like a safe neighborhood,” said Chapman.
She works at an adult daycare facility near Boost Mobile. She says just before police showed up, she saw a man who looked suspicious.
“He literally had a jacket on and covered his whole face but his eyes,” said Chapman.
A short time later Chapman said she and others heard a commotion and a car speed off. Police say a man was attempting to rob Boost Mobile, when an employee who was leaving for the day saw what was going on. He decided to step in and confront the robber, and was shot and killed
“This young man was being a hero. He was attempting to assist his fellow co-worker in making sure that she was okay, and unfortunately his actions ended in his death,” said Sgt. Kari Thompson.
The alarming homicide rate is something that’s not sitting well with KC Mothers In Charge founder Rosilyn Temple.
“It’s a problem here in Kansas City. We’re not going to have another generation. We’re losing them,” said Temple. “We’ve got to do better. We’ve got to come together and we have to stop this.”
She says too often people don’t speak up, and don’t really know what a fired bullet could cost a family.
“People when they lose a loved one, especially a child, you’re never normal. It eats at you. You have good days, you have bad days,” Temple said.
As of Monday night, police hadn’t release a suspect description, but say they would like to talk with the man in the hoodie seen nearby before the shooting..
If you can help police, call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
