KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Randy Jones and his 8-year-old son, RJ, can be found shooting hoops around 7 p.m. most nights at Oak Park in Kansas City, Missouri.
It’s a way for the father and son to get exercise, bond and talk about life.
“It’s not easy, but I think it’s needed,” the elder Jones said.
The latest lesson stemmed from a shooting Wednesday night after Jones and his son arrived at the basketball courts near East 44th Street and South Benton Avenue.
Instead of seeing dozens of teenagers on the courts and kids playing, Jones and RJ watched as KCPD detectives scoured the area for evidence behind yellow and white crime scene tape.
According to witnesses who spoke with 41 Action News after the incident, which resulted in a 4-year-old being shot in the leg, two cars pulled up and started shooting at one another.
The girl who was caught in the crossfire after arriving at the park to play with her mother is expected to survive.
“We come here so often, to see that, me and my son were like, ‘Wow, wow,’” Jones said. “I told him (RJ) just be mindful of what you see. If you see something suspicious, don’t just shrug it off.”
KCPD investigators continue to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
