A year later, KC police seek man who killed a construction worker over a cigarette
Police are again asking for the public’s help finding the man who fatally shot construction worker Johnathon Porter a year ago after he refused to give a man a cigarette at a Kansas City job site.
The plea comes on the first anniversary of Porter’s death. A man shot him several times in the chest the morning of April 24 at the construction site near Ninth Street and Brooklyn Avenue.
Porter, who worked for a company that contracted with Spire gas company, was beginning a day at work installing pipe when a passerby asked for a cigarette.
Porter didn’t smoke and told the man he couldn’t help him. The man walked away, but then turned around and shot Porter. The 23-year-old was rushed to a hospital where he died. He was going to be a father soon, with a daughter born the next month.
As part of their attempts to identify and catch the shooter, police released surveillance video of a suspect in the shooting.
The 16-second video showed a man in a blue hooded sweatshirt and gray pants walking near the site of the shooting.
Police and the Greater KC Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline asked that anyone with information contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477), kccrimestoppers.com or the new mobile app P3TIPS.
The reward for information about the homicide has increased to $12,500.
The company Porter worked for, InfraSource, has established a fundraising website with the United Way of Greater Kansas City to collect donations for his family.
