Kansas City begins 2016 with two homicides on New Year’s Day

Kansas City’s first homicide of the year came early Friday morning. The second followed hours later.

The two New Year’s Day killings in south Kansas City followed a 2015 in which Kansas City’s homicide count reached 109, the most in four years.

Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forté said it was an “extremely bad way” to start the year.

“Unfortunately, our community as well as other communities around the country began the new year with multiple acts of violence,” Forté said. “I’ll continue to deploy personnel in hot-spot areas as well as increase police presence in areas around the city that are prone to violence. During my tenure as chief, there’s been a substantial decrease in homicides in hot-spot areas.”

The first shooting Friday was reported about 2:50 a.m., when two people were found shot in the 5100 block of East 112th Terrace.

Kansas City Fire Department personnel declared one of the victims dead. Another victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to police.

The second shooting was reported about 4:50 p.m. Friday, when some motorists spotted a person suffering from a gunshot wound along Raytown Road near Interstate 470.

The injured person was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later was pronounced dead, police said.

Elsewhere in the metro area, Independence police investigated a suspicious death at a home in the 15100 block of East Truman Road shortly after 11 a.m. Friday. Police identified the dead man as Charles D. Younger, 55, of Independence.

This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 6:24 PM.