Overland Park mother, police searching for answers in 17-year-old’s shooting death
A mother is grieving and praying for answers after her 17-year-old son was fatally shot at his apartment in Overland Park.
Police and family members identified the teenage victim as Ben Workman-Greco on Thursday.
The shooting happened about 10:25 p.m. Wednesday at his apartment in the 8000 block of Farley Street.
His mother, Amy Workman, said she last saw her son earlier Wednesday when she brought food over for her son and his girlfriend. The mother and son shared a hug before she left, she recalled.
“I told him how much I loved him,” Workman said through tears.
After that, she’s not sure what happened later in the night that led to her son’s death.
Workman described her son as loving and independent. She said her son was in an off-campus learning program in Olathe so he could work during his schooling. He moved into his own apartment with his girlfriend about two weeks ago after he had been living with his mother.
The two were close, she said.
“He was really upbeat and he just loved everybody,” Workman said of her son’s personality. “He loved his girlfriend. Yesterday, he was saying he wanted to take care of me and he wanted to take care of (his girlfriend).”
“It’s just devastating,” she continued. “I don’t understand why somebody would do this ... He’s my life.”
Late Thursday night, a GoFundMe page was set up on behalf of the teen’s family to help cover funeral expenses.
“Another senseless murder, a family destroyed at the loss of their brother, and a mother without her youngest son,” a statement on the online fundraiser page said. “As the police are working diligently at catching the person(s) responsible; the family is trying to come to terms with this loss and how to manage a funeral. No one has money set aside for their 17 year child to be put to rest.”
Police are investigating Workman-Greco’s death as a homicide.
Earlier Thursday, police said the initial investigation indicated that, before the shooting, Workman-Greco had two visitors at the home and a fight broke out.
Downstairs neighbors told police they heard a commotion in the victim’s home and saw two men running down the stairs.
Police had no description of a suspect.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Overland Park Police Department at 913-344-8742 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 7:25 PM.
