Police name 35-year-old victim of first 2021 killing, say homicide suspect identified
Kansas City police on Friday announced that the city’s first homicide victim of the new year was 35-year-old Frank W. Peters, according to a news release.
Police also have identified a suspect in the fatal shooting that occurred late Wednesday in the 11400 block of Oak Street, according to Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman with the Kansas City Police Department.
“After the investigation is complete, the case will be referred to the prosecutor’s office for consideration of applicable charges,” Drake said.
Officers responded to reports of gunfire at about 10 p.m. Wednesday near 115th Street and Holmes Road. While en route, police were redirected to Oak, where they found Peters suffering from gunshot wounds. He later died at a hospital.
Shortly thereafter, a second man who had been shot showed up at the hospital and was last reported to be in critical condition.
Wednesday’s fatal shooting comes after Kansas City ended 2020 with 182 homicides, the most in the city’s history, according to data kept by The Star, which includes police shootings.
Earlier this year, police reported that a woman in her 40s was stabbed late on New Year’s Eve died the morning of New Year’s Day and that a 19-year-old man shot on Dec. 28 also died on Jan. 1.
Because the shooting and stabbing occurred last year, their killings are being investigated as 2020 homicides.
Anyone with information about Wednesday’s killing is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
Gun violence will be the subject of a new, statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America and sponsored in part by Missouri Foundation for Health. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.
To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
