Family pleads for help in catching the killer of 3-year-old Amorian S.L. Hale

Relatives of 3-year-old Amorian S.L. Hale begged the public for help Tuesday. The grieving family wants justice for a little boy who brought joy to everyone he touched.

The boy’s grandfather Eric McKinney said someone must know who sprayed Amorian’s house with nearly 20 bullets about 10 a.m. Sunday in the 6700 block of Walrond Avenue. One of those slugs tore into Amorian’s bedroom and hit him in the head with a fatal shot.

Family members implored people: Help us find out who did this.

“We are asking, even pleading, if you will, that someone, if you know anybody that has anything to do with this, please call the police,” McKinney said.

He and other relatives made the plea at a Tuesday news conference scheduled by Mothers in Charge, a group of women touched by violence.

“Let them know,” McKinney said. “They are here to help.”

A reward in the case has grown to $2,500, authorities announced Tuesday. So far, 23 anonymous tips have been received in the case.

No arrests have been made, and police are continuing their investigation.

McKinney and other family members said they are distraught by violent deaths of the city’s youths in recent months, including the shooting deaths of a teenager whose body was found at a south Kansas City waterpark and a 6-year-old killed outside a convenience store in the Ruskin Heights area.

“I don’t want to hear anything about black lives matter anymore when there are black people that are taking black lives,” McKinney said. “We lost our grandchild. Enough is enough.”

A candlelight vigil is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday in the block where Amorian died.

Funeral arrangements have not been made, relatives said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Family pleads for help in catching the killer of 3-year-old Amorian S.L. Hale."