Kansas City man suspected of killing 2 boys threatened family before, records show
The Kansas City man accused of killing his two younger brothers after they arrived home from a Ramadan service Friday night had threatened family members on other occasions within the past two years, recent filings in Jackson County court allege.
Hanad A. Abdiaziz, 25, was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of 16-year-old Abdulwahid Abdulaziz and 14-year-old Abdirahman Abdulaziz. Abdiaziz was shot and killed during an armed encounter with Kansas City police hours after a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Charging documents do not reveal a potential motive for the killings. But the mother of the boys, interviewed by police after her sons were gunned down in front of her home, told investigators Abdiaziz had threatened to kill her and her husband on several occasions in the past.
She accused Abdiaziz of assaulting her husband in 2019. She also told police she believed Abdiaziz would have entered her home and killed other family members on Friday night as well if “his gun had not jammed,” according to court records.
Officers were called to the shootings about 11:30 p.m. Friday near East 8th and Olive streets in the Independence Plaza neighborhood on the city’s northeast side. When they arrived, the boys were found lying on the walkway of the apartment’s entrance.
The boys died at the scene.
One of the boys’ brothers, who is 10, claimed to see Abdiaziz shoot his siblings before removing a black ski mask, court documents state. He believed Abdiaziz wanted to kill him as well, telling investigators that Abdiaziz was reloading his gun when he ran into his home.
The child told investigators that Abdiaziz used to be a “good guy,” but that about two years ago he started threatening the family.
Another family member was sleeping inside when he was awoken by gunshots, court records state. When he looked out the window to see what was happening, he told investigators, he saw Abdiaziz running away from the doorway.
Crime scene investigators found several spent shell casings at the scene. They also found a black ski mask.
The boys were remembered as two rising stars by those who attend the Somali Center of Kansas City. They were active members in their faith community, often leading prayers.
In charging documents, detectives said Abdiaziz was described as having a tendency for violence “not only to the general public but also to his family.”
Abdiaziz was fatally shot by a Kansas City police officer about 6:10 p.m. Saturday after he “presented a firearm” that was believed to be a short-barreled rifle near Maple Boulevard and East Missouri Avenue, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating the police shooting. The homicide case is being investigated by Kansas City police.
