'Life ended right here': Activists react to teen's shooting death
Dec 16, 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Police Department has identified Sunday night’s homicide victim as 15-year-old Tacobe Kindred.
Police say no one is in custody for his death, but adds that detectives continue to work hard on the case and are making headway with identifying a person of interest.
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Officers were dispatched to the 3300 block of Bales for a shooting call on Sunday.“As they arrived, officers were directed to a residence on the block. Inside they located a juvenile male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing life-saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital where he died of his injuries,” the KCPD shared.
“Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to shots being fired and the victim ultimately being struck.”
Kindred’s death is the 140th homicide in the city this year. That number is down 42 homicides from this time last year. However, police and community activists still say that number is too high.
“The work is towards zero,” Sgt. Phil DiMartino with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department shared.
“When you say 140, that’s not good enough.”
Activists in the community share the same viewpoint.
"How many conversations do we have to prevent this? We keep having the same conversation about the same situations,” community activist, Pat Clarke shared on Monday.
"I’ve been on this block before this year. A six-year-old was shot in a ride-by, and I’m familiar with a couple of families on this block.”
He was in the area again Monday to check on the families who live there. It’s the same area where a six-year-old was hit by gunfire in April of this year."It's personal for me because I am one of them. You know what I am saying? I come from the same area. I know the kids. I know the parents. When you hear something like this and (are) familiar with the block and the area, it sets off an alarm. I made it a habit just to come and check,” Clarke added.
"This kid will never finish school. This kid will never have kids.”
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Clarke said he’s praying for the family and is hoping to make a difference.
“And trying to see what it is I can do now that I didn't do before to prevent this,” Clarke shared.
"Again, I am one of them and that makes us family."“If you gotta bring a gun to a family gathering or event, that means you don't need to go. Somebody lost their life, because somebody was careless. If they haven't turned themselves in by now, then they don't care. Whatever the situation was, it's still going to be what it is," he continued.
Investigators are still looking for the person who caused Kindred’s death."Anyone that heard or saw something, again, I will always emphasize this point, no matter how small they may think it is, it won’t be small to the case,” Sgt. Phil DiMartino shared.If anyone has any information, you can contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
“I want to reassure the public, that these detectives will bring these individuals to justice or individual to justice for whoever is responsible for this,” Sgt. DiMartino added.There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.
“You can run. You can’t hide from God. He knows you did it,” Clarke added.