House arrest denied for juvenile accused in fatal shooting of Kourtney Freeman, 11
A Jackson County family court judge denied house arrest Wednesday for a juvenile charged in the fatal shooting 11-year-old Kourtney Freeman in April, according to attorneys for the defendant.
The alleged shooter has been charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of armed criminal action and seven counts of assault in the fourth degree, according to attorney Tyson Bramley.
He has not been publicly named because he is a juvenile.
Freeman was fatally shot April 10 in her home on Flora Avenue in the Linwood Homeowners-Ivanhoe neighborhood. Kansas City police officers discovered Freeman unresponsive there with a gunshot wound just before 10 p.m.
The suspect was arrested by Kansas City police on May 21. Police initially reported that shots likely came from outside the home.
The juvenile has been held in Jackson County juvenile detention since charges were filed on May 22.
Now that house arrest has been denied by a judge, he will remain there through future hearings.
Freeman’s funeral was April 21. She would have turned 12 in May.
A student at Ewing Marion Kauffman School, Freeman played basketball and was part of a local step team. She also participated in after-school organizations dedicated to violence prevention.
“Despite her tender age, Kourtney possessed a wisdom far beyond her years, approaching life with a grace and maturity that inspired all who knew her,” her obituary said.
Samantha Freeman, Kourtney’s mother, has said she is eager for her daughter’s killer to face consequences. Police have said they believe Freeman’s death was targeted.
A detention hearing will be held later this summer, followed by a certification hearing this fall, Bramley said. This will determine whether the alleged shooter is tried as an adult.
If convicted, the shooter could face between 10 years and life in prison on the murder charge alone. If charged as a juvenile, he would be eligible for parole after 15 years, while he might never be eligible for parole if charged as an adult.
Bramley declined to comment further on charges against his client.
Abigale Lawson, a juvenile courts attorney representing Freeman’s family, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
The Jackson County Circuit Court was also unavailable for comment Wednesday.
As she grieves her daughter, Samantha Freeman hopes to move out of Kansas City, according to sister Myesha Clay-Freeman. A fundraiser for Samantha’s moving expenses has raised just over $8,500 as of Tuesday.
Freeman was the sixth person under 18 killed in Kansas City in 2024, according to data collected by The Star. Since her death, three other minors have been fatally shot in the city.
Previous reporting by Noelle Alviz-Gransee and Bob Cronkleton was used in this article.
This story was originally published June 12, 2024 at 5:47 PM.
