‘Devastated’: Two cousins killed within 48 hours of each other in separate shootings
Tragedy struck a Kansas City family for the second time in 48 hours this week when two cousins were killed in separate, apparently unrelated shootings.
Charles Pelton, 18, was gunned down late Monday near the basketball court of a church in the 1400 block of East 103rd Street. That happened hours after his cousin, Ki’essence Pelton, 25, was shot and killed while riding in a car early Sunday near 39th Street and Myrtle Avenue.
“It’s not good, it’s not good,” their cousin, Rishard Pelton, said Tuesday. “We’re truly devastated.”
Charles Pelton was the father of a 9-month-old son. Ki’essence Pelton was the mother of two daughters, ages 10 months and 5 years old. The family was struggling with both deaths and were making plans to bury both cousins.
“I’m hurt,” said Kimberly Pelton, the mother of Ki’essence Pelton. “I went from being a grandmother to now I have to become the mother to these children.”
“I don’t know how I am going to do it but I know Ki’essence is going to give me the strength to make it through.”
Charles Pelton had gone with another relative to play basketball at the church. After he was shot there, he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Jason St. John, lead pastor at Evangel Church, said the congregation also is troubled about the incident.
“We were devastated to hear about the shooting that took place in our parking lot last night,” St. John said in a statement. “Our staff gathered this morning to pray for the family and friends of the individual. We are working with local law enforcement to help in any way possible.”
“We stand with those who work for, and long to see, an end to violence in our community.”
St. John said the church constructed the basketball court several years ago. A sign posted near the entrance encourages players to visit and attend services at the church.
The court has become a gathering spot for neighborhood youth and others for daytime pick-up basketball games.
But a neighbor said a different crowd occupies the basketball court in the late evenings.
A collection of basketball players and others arrive sometime after 10 p.m. and often play basketball until three or four in the morning, the neighbor said.
On some nights, the crowds for some late night basketball games will attract anywhere between 30 to 40 carloads of people.
The Star obtained surveillance video of the shooting.
Just before the shooting, a white SUV is shown backing into a parking spot next to a dark vehicle, near the basketball court. As gunfire erupts, the video shows, basketball players and spectators scramble for cover.
A neighbor said he heard at least 17 gunshots fired from two separate guns.
Witnesses told police the white SUV fled the scene after the shooting. Police said they had no suspect description to release.
The killing came just a day after cousin Ki’essence Pelton was killed as she rode in a car Sunday near 39th Street and Myrtle Avenue.
As officers arrived at the shooting scene, she arrived at a hospital suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.
The driver told police that they heard gunfire, realized Ki’essence Pelton had been hit and drove her to the hospital. Doctors pronounced her dead.
Ki’essence Pelton had recently worked as a custodian at Pembroke Hill School. Prior to that she worked in customer service and for a daycare center. Ki’essence Pelton earned a GED from De La Salle Center in 2012.
Kimberly Pelton said her daughter and Charles Pelton were exceptionally close and enjoyed a strong bond.
On Tuesday, family members held a prayer vigil for the cousins in front of the Golden Gate Funeral Chapel near 18th Street and Benton Boulevard. Participants held red and yellow balloons as clergy and community leaders lamented the ongoing gun violence and killings that continue to wreak havoc throughout Kansas City.
Damon Daniel, president of the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, said prayer vigils have the become the norm for many young people in the urban core.
“We as a community have got to come together to figure this out,” Daniel said.” The first thing we have got to do is to get people to put down the damn guns. We have got to learn to forgive each other.”
“None of us have the right to play God but that is what is occurring throughout our community right now.”
Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
The Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, which runs the TIPS Hotline, recently increased the reward offered for tips in Kansas City homicides to $25,000.
This story was originally published July 9, 2019 at 5:34 PM.
