Kansas City police investigate Friday night homicide

Update: Police later identified the victim as 19-year-old Lionell Hamilton.

Kansas City police were investigating a homicide that occurred Friday night.

Officers were called just after 9:15 p.m. on a report of sounds of gunshots in the 12100 block of East 43rd Street, Donna Drake, a spokeswoman with Kansas City Police Department said in an email.

When officers arrived they found an adult black male victim outside of a business on East 43rd Street, east of Blue Ridge Boulevard. The victim was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Drake said that officers immediately began performing life-saving measures until emergency medical services arrived.

The victim was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead, Drake said in the email.

Detectives and crime scene personnel processed the scene and spoke to witnesses. Detectives believe, Drake said, there were several witnesses who were in the area at the time of the apparent shooting who left before officers arrived.

Police ask that anyone with information should call detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you would like to remain anonymous, you can call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.

This story was originally published August 7, 2021 at 9:31 AM.