U.S. 71 southbound lanes reopen in Kansas City after police investigate homicide
Update: Police identifed the victim as 32-year-old Keithlin Royster.
U.S. Highway 71 southbound lanes were closed for several hours as Kansas City police investigated a homicide near 71 Highway and Blue River Road, according to Kansas City police.
Initial information showed the shooting may have been a road rage incident on the highway, KCPD spokesperson Ofc. Alayna Gonzalez told local media.
The KC Scout map cameras show southbound 71 traffic being diverted off the highway at East 75th Street and multiple police vehicles on the highway. Map data states the closure began at 11:20 a.m.
The lanes have since reopened as of at least 5:25 p.m.
Officers were dispatched to southbound 71 Highway and Blue River Road on the reported shooting just before 11:20 a.m., where they found a vehicle stopped on the side of the road and a woman asking for help, police said.
A man was also unresponsive inside the vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics, according to police.
Investigators believe two unidentified men were in an unknown vehicle when shots were fired and struck the victim. Police are searching to determine the start of the altercation, the location where the shooting occurred and to identify suspects.
So far, investigators have no suspects and no suspect vehicle, Gonzalez said. This incident is being actively investigated as a homicide.
People with information are asked to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 12:22 PM.
