KANSAS CITY, Kan. – In the middle of the day Tuesday, Kansas City, Kansas police found a woman shot to death in an area of their city they say is rarely the scene of a crime, let alone a homicide.
On Tuesday, police identified the woman as 22-year-old Kelsey Ewonus, of Overland Park, Kansas.
Police say they got a call shortly after 1:30 in the afternoon to check out a blue car that’d been sitting on the street. Inside they found Ewonus shot to death.
“My stomach dropped. I’ve got a child of my own almost that age. It’s scary, it’s tragic,” said J.J. Soderling.
As of right now, police haven’t arrested a suspect. Some speculated that Kelsey’s death is connected to two homicides in Overland Park. Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to the area of West 61st Terrace and Robinson on a reported shooting. When they arrived at the scene, police located one male victim, who was in the street. The man was described as having life-threatening injuries. The victim was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. Police found a second victim inside of a nearby home who was already dead.
Police could not confirm if there was a connection between the two crime scenes that killed three people, but say they are investigating the tips and information they received.
Kelsey’s parents, Ginger and Kent Ewonus, say they do not know the two victims in Overland Park and do not know about a connection, but say they believe their daughter was doing drugs. They say she has had her struggles and was trying to get her life back on track.
Ginger Ewonus said Kelsey leaves behind a one-year-old son.
FOX 4’s Melissa Stern will have more on her conversation with Clint and Ginger Ewonus, coming up on FOX 4 News at 5 & 6 p.m.
“It kind of worries me now that something like this would happen,” said Tyler Frank, who lives in the area where Kelsey Ewonus was found dead in a car. It’s a scene that neighbors say they’ve never encountered in their peaceful, little-known corner of the city. Frank has lived in the neighborhood near KU Medical Center for 18 years. He says it’s a place he and his family members regularly walk around with no fear.
“This could have been anyone. This could have been my Grandpa, could have been some friends, my whole family lives in this neighborhood,” said Frank. “I guess we’re going to have to start using our alarm now. It’s going to get a little scary,” Frank said.
So far police have not released a suspect description, but they do ask anyone with information in this case to call the TIPS Hotline at (816)474-TIPS.
