Police question and release suspect in fatal shooting

Kansas City police on Thursday questioned and released a man suspected in the shooting death of Kristofor A. Washington, 24, in an industrial area Tuesday.

Jackson County prosecutors wanted detectives to do more work before deciding whether to file criminal charges against the 19-year-old.

Officers found Washington slumped in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, with a handgun in his lap, in a parking lot in the 8200 block of East 23rd Trafficway. Witnesses heard gunshots and saw an SUV flee with a possible broken window.

Police identified the victim as Kristopher Washington, but relatives said Thursday the correct spelling is Kristofor. Washington graduated from Olathe North High School in 2007 and later had several scrapes with the legal system.

His grandmother said he got in with the wrong crowd but was trying to turn his life around. His uncle, Kevin Williams, said he hired Washington to work with him on a grant-financed project to install energy-efficient upgrades to low-income residents.

“He was a conscientious worker that was very happy to have a job,” Williams said.

But the grant was not renewed in 2012, leaving Washington unemployed. He performed odd jobs and day labor while searching for permanent work to provide for his 5-year-old son, Williams said.

Washington was concerned about paying for his son’s eye surgery, scheduled for Thursday. Washington had planned to take his son to the appointment, Williams said.

The surgery went well.

Relatives didn’t know why Washington met the driver of the SUV in the parking lot.

This story was originally published March 6, 2014 at 8:20 PM with the headline "Police question and release suspect in fatal shooting."