Man found shot to death in Kansas City alley Wednesday night, police say
Update: Police identified the victim as 54-year-old Edmon Alexander.
A man was found shot to death in an alley in Kansas City’s Ingleside neighborhood Wednesday night, according to police.
Kansas City police officers were dispatched to 27th Street and Askew Avenue on reports of gunshots heard by an area resident, Sgt. Jake Becchina, a police spokesman, said at the scene. The officers arrived to find a man unresponsive in an alleyway one block away near the corner of 28th Street and Bales Avenue.
Officers called emergency medical personnel to the area. They pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Police had no information about what led up to the shooting in the immediate aftermath. But Becchina said detectives have been speaking with neighbors and are hopeful someone will soon bring forward information to assist them with identifying a suspect.
The latest killing comes amid a recent surge in violent crime. It is the sixth homicide investigation reported in the city since Sunday.
As homicide detectives face a heightened caseload, Becchina said the department is following its longstanding rotation strategy to put fresh eyes on each new case. He also noted the number of detectives has increased since last year, when the city experienced a record number of killings.
Becchina said a large number of the city’s homicides have historically begun with simple disagreements between strangers.
“That’s really unfortunate when you look back on it,” Becchina said. “Two or more people … started the day maybe not even knowing each other and then becoming involved in something so serious that somebody loses their life over it.”
The killing Wednesday night marked the 148th homicide in Kansas City so far this year, according to data maintained by The Star. While the number is lower than the historic high of 2020, with 182 recorded, the city is on pace to tie or break its second-largest figure of 153 homicides in a calendar year.
Police are encouraging anyone with information to call the homicide unit at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. A reward of $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.
