Progress reported in drive-by death of 10-year-old KCK girl
Twice in October, drive-by killings of innocent little girls shocked the Kansas City area.
This week, Kansas City police arrested two men now charged in one of those killings — the Oct. 17 shooting death of 6-year-old Angel Hooper.
And Kansas City, Kan., police said Friday that they are working hard to solve the other — the Oct. 26 death of 10-year-old Machole Stewart.
“We’re making progress,” said Maj. Vince Davenport, chief of detectives for the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department. “We have several individuals we are focusing on.”
A potentially big break in the case came this week when police recovered the vehicle they think was involved in the drive-by shooting, Davenport said.
Police detectives investigating the case are being aided by agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who are providing “technical services,” according to Davenport.
Machole was inside her family’s home at 15th Street and New Jersey Avenue when the occupants of a passing vehicle fired shots into the dwelling. The fifth-grader was the only person hit by a bullet.
A relative said that Machole was sitting on a couch when she heard the shots. She apparently thought the sound was fireworks and stood up before a bullet struck her in the head, according to the relative.
In the Kansas City case, Angel and her father were leaving a convenience store at 107th Street and Blue Ridge Boulevard when someone fired shots from a passing vehicle. One bullet struck Angel in the head.
The occupants of another car in the area appeared to be the intended targets, according to court documents released Wednesday by Jackson County prosecutors who filed second-degree murder charges against 19-year-old Howard Chase IV and 21-year-old Leandre Smith.
Members of Machole’s family said Friday that they are encouraged by the news of charges in Angel’s death.
“It gives you a whole lot of hope,” said Machole’s grandmother, Kim Blackmon. “If they can find the ones who did that, they can find the ones that did it to Machole.”
In both cases, authorities are encouraging anyone with information to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
To reach Tony Rizzo, call 816-234-4435 or send email to trizzo@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published November 14, 2014 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Progress reported in drive-by death of 10-year-old KCK girl."