6 people were shot in 3 days in this corner of Kansas City. Police ramp up presence
More Kansas City police officers will be in the area of East 35th Street and Prospect Avenue beginning next week following an increase in violence in the area, department officials said Sunday.
Last week, more than 30 reports of gunfire were reported in the area and more than 200 rounds were fired, said Capt. Corey Carlisle, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.
This is part of a “rapid increase of incidents involving gun fire in the past 7 days,” Carlisle said.
On Friday, officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. to East 35th Street and Prospect Avenue on a report of shots fired. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds in a gas station parking lot. The victim, whose name has not yet been released, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Four others, including a child under 5, were treated for gunshot injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
The next day, police were called at 10:30 a.m. to the area of East 37th Street and Prospect Avenue on reports of gunshots fired. Investigators found a man who was unresponsive suffering from gunshot wounds. That victim, later identified as Ahmad Simmons, 33, was declared dead that day. A second man was also injured in the shooting.
Additional shots were fired near East 35th Street and Brooklyn Avenue around noon as police were canvassing the scene, Carlisle said.
“Members of our community and their families should feel safe in their homes without the fear of indiscriminate violence in their neighborhoods,” he wrote in an email to media, emphasizing how crucial community involvement is in solving crime.
The department is asking that anyone with information on the shootings call the police “so we can bring justice to these victims and restore peace to our communities,” Carlisle said.
KCPD’s homicide detectives can be reached at 816-234-5043 and the assault squad can be reached at 816-234-5227. Any community members who want to remain anonymous can call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
The department is working with Partners for Peace in all its homicide investigations “to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents,” Carlisle said.
So far this year in Kansas City, 51 people have been killed, according to homicide data kept by The Star, which includes fatal shooting by police; the majority were shot to death.
This story was originally published April 16, 2023 at 9:44 PM.
