Fund set up to help with services for one nightclub shooting victim. ‘Rest well.’
A vase of flowers, a candle and Teddy Bear with a heart nose sit outside Status Nightclub as a memorial to lives lost in an early Sunday shooting that killed two and injured another two.
There, tucked under the vase, is a short note written on torn paper.
“We love you Eboni,” the note reads. “Rest well.”
Eboni Silas, 29, and Tishauna Ballard, 24, were killed inside Status Nightclub, 2801 Southwest Blvd, police said. Officers found both women inside the business after they arrived at the scene after 2 a.m. Sunday. Two other people were injured, one critically.
Preliminary information, according to police, shows that the victims were inside the business when there was an interaction with “one or more suspects that escalated and led to shots being fired,” police said in a news release Sunday.
No suspect has been taken into custody at this time.
Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies were working off duty in the area of 28th Street and Southwest Boulevard around 2 a.m. when they heard gunfire inside a nearby nightclub, which was later identified as Status Nightclub.
At the same time, 911 received calls about a shooting from inside the building, according to Capt. Jake Becchina, spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department.
When officers arrived, they were led inside the nightclub where they located three women who had been shot. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the second woman died at the hospital, police said in the release. The third woman received what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries, police said.
While officers were still at the scene, they were notified of a fourth victim, a man who had been transported to the hospital by a private vehicle, police said. That shooting victim was in critical condition Sunday evening.
‘Loved by so many’
A family member of Silas set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses.
“My girl would have been 30 this year,” the post said. “She didn’t deserve to lose her life to senseless violence. She was working hard to build a better life for herself and move away from KC.
“Eboni was loved by so many, and her loss has left a huge hole in our hearts.”
Funds raised will go directly toward her funeral services, the post said, “helping us give Eboni the farewell she deserves and easing the financial burden during this incredibly difficult time.” “Our family was not prepared for something like this, and we are struggling to come to terms with her sudden passing,” the post said. “To everyone that knew and loved my sister, thank you for your support. Your kindness and generosity mean more to us than words can say.”
Enchantress Beauté Bar Collection, a Kansas City hair salon, posted on its Facebook page that Silas was a “beloved stylist” there.
“Eboni was a valued member of our salon family, and her presence, talent, and spirit will be deeply missed,” the post read. “We extend our deepest condolences to Eboni’s family, loved ones, and everyone whose life she touched.
“Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
The Star’s Tammy Ljungblad and Noelle Alviz-Gransee contributed reporting.
