KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A family's car ride turned fatal late Saturday night when a 9-year-old boy was shot and killed.
Kansas City police said it happened just before midnight at the intersection of Cleaver II and 71 Highway. The boy's father told police he witnessed a gunfight between people in two cars at that intersection.
KCPD Homicide unit requests your help on who took the life of a 9 year old boy Sunday morning on Cleaver II & 71 Hwy. The little boy was in the vehicle pictured when he was killed. If you saw what happened or have info please call TIPS 816-474-8477 pic.twitter.com/ew4eqTwBjc
— Kansas City Police (@kcpolice) January 23, 2018
He drove off, and it wasn't until they reached Grandview that the father realized his son had been shot. The 9-year-old was taken to an area hospital where he later died.
Rosilyn Temple of KC Mothers in Charge visited with the family Sunday and said they're understandably distraught.
"Children are supposed to bury us. As parents we are not supposed to be burying our children," she said.
Family members said the victim is 9-year-old Dominic Young Jr., a 3rd-grader at Ingels Elementary.
Relatives told 41 Action News Monday he wanted to be a football player when he grew up.
Dominic’s life was cut short as he was heading home after spending his Saturday with family at a skating rink and then that evening bowling.
His mother, Christine Anderson, told us that this tragedy occurred seven days before her birthday. She simply wants her son’s killer caught and off the streets.
“If I could know who did that that would bring some kind of closure to this family, knowing that person is not out there. They can’t hurt anyone or anybody else,” Anderson said.
The boy’s great-grandmother, Denise McCraney, also lost her son to violence.
“We can’t bring him back, but we don’t want this person to have the opportunity to take another life, trying or not trying. Please turn yourself in, give up,” McCraney said.
Police worked through the night, trying to piece together what happened and who might be responsible.
Shortly after 2:30 Sunday morning, another crime disrupted the scene. Police stopped a suspected drunk driver after she broke through crime scene tape and nearly hit a group of investigators.
That woman's name has not been released, and police also have not named any suspects in the crime that first brought them to the intersection.
If you have any information, call KCPD or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
