Following the recent deaths of two Kansas City children and another who was shot Thursday night, a group of Kansas City men have organized what they hope will turn into a movement.
#BabiesLivesMatter had their first rally at Gregory and Prospect Saturday evening, the same location where gunfire struck a child under the age of 5 years old two nights ago.
The group of men handed out 3,000 fliers featuring the hashtag and the KCPD TIPS hotline number. The fliers also featured Jayden Ugwuh and Montell Ross, 8 and 9-year-old cousins who were killed by gunfire while sleeping inside their home at 57th and College on August 13.
"What we gonna do with that for all the kids that got killed? We gonna seek out justice for them,” said Ron Hunt, who is helping to organize the community movement.
"They were intending to kill those babies, so we gotta get these people off the streets,” he said.
The gunfire that killed Ugwuh and Ross also sent a 16-year-old girl to the hospital with injuries. Thursday’s shooting killed one adult and injured two others.
Hunt said it’s time for the community to step up.
"We're not gonna let this rest at all. Because this is not how we live,” he said.
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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com
