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Teen charged in fatal shooting outside KCK Dollar General store in April: Police

police siren
police siren Courtesy: McClatchy Co.

A teenager has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old outside a discount store in Kansas City, Kansas in April, according to KCK police.

Gerald Jones II was found with a gunshot wound in the parking lot of the Dollar General on Leavenworth Road on April 22, 2024. Police responded around 7:30 p.m., and emergency personnel pronounced Jones dead at the scene.

The suspect, a 17-year-old male, was taken into custody Wednesday by U.S. marshals, said KCKPD spokesperson Nancy Chartrand. He was found on the Missouri side of Kansas City. He has not been publicly named.

The suspect is being held in the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center and will face trial in Wyandotte County. Along with first-degree felony murder, he faces a charge of aggravated robbery.

Jones’ death was the sixth homicide reported in Kansas City, Kansas this year, according to data collected by the Star. Four additional homicides have been reported in the city since.

Kansas City, Kansas has seen 37 aggravated robberies since the start of the year, according to police data. KCKPD also reports that 30% of homicides in 2024 involved a victim younger than 24.

Twelve% of homicide suspects in Kansas City, Kansas this year have been minors.

Ilana Arougheti
The Kansas City Star
Ilana Arougheti (they/she) is The Kansas City Star’s Jackson County watchdog reporter, covering local government and accountability issues with a focus on eastern Jackson County .They are a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism, sociology and gender studies. Ilana most recently covered breaking news for The Star and previously wrote for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Raleigh News & Observer. Feel free to reach out with questions or tips! Support my work with a digital subscription
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