KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With homicides hitting record numbers in Kansas City, Mo., a local church is hoping rows of crosses will remind community members of all the lives lost this year.
Norton Heights Community Church near Norton and Independence Ave. held a vigil Saturday afternoon. A cross was planted for nearly each of the victims of homicide this year and each name was read aloud.
“What we have are 136 crosses representing the 136 names we were able to verify of the deceased of 2017,” said Norton Heights Pastor Leon Berg.
With 137 murders total this year so far, it’s been the deadliest year in Kansas City, Mo. since 1994. The record number was reported in 1993 with 153 homicides that year.
Saturday was the first time the church planted crosses to remember this year’s victims.
“For the last four or five years, the number of murders in Kansas City has been going up,” said Pastor Berg. “It struck me. It was just heavy on my heart. I thought ‘how can I respond as an ordained minister? How can our little congregation respond?’”
Chris Judd, a member of the church, rang a chime after every five names read.
“I don't care what they're life was like,” said Judd. “I don't care what the situation of their death was. They need to be remembered and honored.”
It was a sound that forced Lindsay Stills to pause. The mother of two brought her young boys to the prayer service.
“I want people to know that even if you're loved one passed and I didn't know them my heart goes out to you and it shouldn't have happened,” said Stills. “And we need to have safer streets.”
It was a message that permeated the service as the names of strangers were read aloud by church members who want to spark change.
“We consider ourselves a peace church,” said Judd. “And to be a peace church means you've got to do something.”
Church leaders say they’ll leave the crosses up for now and plan on doing the service again next year, with the hopes that the number of homicide victims goes down.
