KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 68-year-old man died, and three others were injured after the facade of a Family Dollar store collapsed Sunday afternoon in Kansas City.
The collapse happened just before 3 p.m. at the store at 3726 Broadway Boulevard, sending emergency crews rushing to the scene where multiple victims were trapped. The facade failure killed a 68-year-old man, left a 50-year-old woman in critical condition, and injured two others. All of those injured were outside the building when the collapse occurred.
“It's heavy on my heart as well,” said Victor Scott, who lives near the store. "I think about it because I was in there twice this morning before it happened. It could've been me.”
Scott said he knew the man who was killed.
“He was a quiet guy,” Scott said. “He didn't talk very much, and he didn't socialize very much with a whole lot of people. Pretty much a hardworking man and good guy.”
Police are still working to find the dead man's family members before they release his identity.
“After speaking with family and friends, we realized that he didn't have a lot of close family, a lot of friends that were connected that they knew of,” Pastor Timothy Hayes, with 24 Hour Faith Training Center, said.
Hayes spent part of Monday trying to get in touch with the man's next of kin to try to give him a proper funeral.
“Going to shop for whatever he was going to Family Dollar for, I'm sure he did not expect that to be his final time walking this earth, and we cannot let those bricks be the thing that buries him,” Hayes said.
As neighbors still try to process what happened, they hope for healing, all in due time.
“I pray for those that lost a loved one, a friend, I hope the best for everyone,” Scott said.
Residents told KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa there were also people trapped inside the building following the collapse. Many neighbors in the area expressed frustration, saying they saw warning signs before the collapse.
Residents who live nearby took pictures and provided copies to KSHB 41 on Sunday morning. The pictures show a noticeable lean in the store's entryway facade.
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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
