'We will keep pressing': Family of 19-year-old killed in police shooting wants answers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.

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The family of the 19-year-old who was shot and killed by a Lafayette County sheriff's deputy continues to question what happened and push for answers.

Three months after the death of 19-year-old Saveion McConnell, his family says they have not learned of any updates on the investigation from police.

McConnell's mother, uncle and closest friends and family celebrated what would have been his 20th birthday on Sunday afternoon with some of his favorite things: community, music and lots of hot dogs.

Will Shaw

“Saveion is very loved," his mother Michelle Washington said. "He mattered. His life mattered. He should not have been taken away from us. He should still be here.”

Law enforcement believed McConnell was responsible for shooting a 17-year-old girl back in May. McConnell and another man were walking near Highway 131 and U.S. Highway 50 when deputies spotted him.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, he was then hit by a patrol car and was shot by a Lafayette County Sheriff's deputy shortly after. MSHP confirmed no gun was found on McConnell.

“Who is the deputy that [did] this, and will he be charged?" Washington said.

MSHP tells KSHB 41 News they handed over a partial case file to the Johnson County, Missouri prosecutor's office at the end of June.

The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office has not provided any updates on what led up to the initial shooting involving the 17-year-old girl.

Will Shaw

“Not having answers, it's nerve-racking," McConnell's uncle Phillip Washington said. "It shows up every day of your life.”

McConnell's celebration of life on Sunday comes as another 19-year-old was shot and killed by police in Kansas City, Kansas on Sunday morning.

According to police, Leonel Lozoya-Esparza was the suspect involved in a shots fired call early Sunday morning. He was armed when officers arrived, failed to comply with officers' commands and turned toward them while holding the firearm.

Another shooting on Sunday afternoon at an apartment complex in Kansas City, Missouri left two men dead and another one injured at an apartment complex.

The continued violence placed a heavy weight on Saveion's friends and family on Sunday afternoon.

Will Shaw

“It weighs heavy on my heart," Ebony McClain, family friend of the Washington's, said. "I'm worried about all my sons when they leave my house every day, hoping that they'll come back home to me.”

As for McConnell's family, they say answers will help bring peace.

“We will keep pressing and keep demanding accountability and justice,” Washington said.

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