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Police identify suspect in 2 Wednesday KCK shootings

North 55th Street and Everett Avenue standoff
Posted at 4:53 PM, Dec 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-03 17:53:39-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office has identified a suspect in two shootings that occurred Wednesday morning in Kansas City, Kansas.

Keith Johnson Jr., 38, was found dead in his home by police from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a sheriff's office release.

Johnson is believed to have shot his girlfriend in Welborn Park around 7 a.m. Wednesday. The girlfriend is at an area hospital in critical condition.

Johnson then went to his residence in the 1500 block of N. 55th Drive and barricaded himself from police.

Officers eventually entered the home and found two children with gunshot wounds. One of the children shot was 7-year-old Cariya Reed, who died from her injuries.

The other child, a 3-year-old boy, was transported to the hospital Wednesday where he remains in critical condition.

Cariya's family is raising money to help pay for her funeral in Illinois.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.