Woman killed in Kansas City mass shooting had 7-year-old daughter and college hopes
Relatives of a woman killed in a mass shooting outside a Kansas City nightclub Sunday are raising money to help pay for her funeral expenses.
Raeven Parks, 25, was gunned down while she stood outside of the 9ine Ultra Lounge, in the 4800 block of Noland Road, according to the Kansas City Police Department. Parks had a 7-year-old daughter and hoped to attend college, her cousin, Tamela Smith said Tuesday.
At least 15 people were reported wounded in the incident. It remained unclear Tuesday how many were shot but police have labeled it a mass shooting.
Officers responding to the nightclub found a chaotic scene in the parking lot. A security guard shot and killed Swift, police said.
Parks did not have life insurance and the money that is being raised is expected to cover funeral expenses, according to an online fundraiser.
Smith said the family is having a difficult time dealing with the death.
“We’re not taking this very well,” Smith said. “We didn’t want her life not to have any value. That is the case for too many murder victims. They die and it seems that nobody cares.”
Any funds left over will be placed in a trust fund for Parks’s daughter, Smith said.
Police said three victims were critically injured in the incident. Seven patients went to Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, about six miles east of the shooting scene.
The shooting came hours after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans and earned a spot at Super Bowl LIV.
The nightclub appeared to be hosting a Chiefs celebration that night, according to a post on its Facebook page advertising a “Sold Out Sundays” event. Hundreds of people were there when gunfire broke out.
On Monday, the club posted a statement saying, “KC we believe we are much better than this circumstance and it is now time that we rise up as a city to do better for our community.”
The club’s license could be temporarily revoked if city officials determine it should be considered a nuisance, Mayor Quinton Lucas said Monday during a press conference.
Detectives asked anyone who was there to contact the police department’s homicide unit at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 4:39 PM.
