‘Kourtney changed my life,’ family and friends gather at funeral Sunday
Pink, purple and white balloons framed Kourtney Freeman’s casket Sunday afternoon. Sobs could be heard over the organ. Misty eyed children hugged each other in comfort.
“A time like this is never, ever easy, but we do rest in the comfort that God loves her and that he has her. Even though our hearts are on the ache for a very long time, Kourtney will be gone, but never, ever forgotten because she will always live in us,” a family member said. “We will see things that remind us of her. We’ll remember things that she said, the things that she did, the way she smiled, the way she encouraged. Her life was short and she was gone too soon.”
Kourtney Freeman would have turned 12 years old in May.
Her death April 10 marked the sixth homicide in Kansas City this year where the victim was under the age of 18, according to data tracked by The Star.
The Shooting
Officers responded shortly after 9:45 p.m. to investigate reports of shots being fired near East 33rd Street and Flora Avenue, Capt. Jake Becchina, with the Kansas City Police Department, said. While officers were en route, they were told there had been a shooting and the victim was inside a home in the 3300 block of Flora in the Linwood Homeowners-Ivanhoe neighborhood.
Arriving officers were led inside a home, where they found Kourtney. She was unresponsive, and officers began rendering aid, Becchina said. Emergency medical workers took the victim to a hospital, where she was declared dead a short time later.
Police said their preliminary summation is the victim was inside the home when she was struck by gunfire that came from outside.
Police later said they believe the suspects intended to shoot at the home. “Indications are, yes, that the shots were fired from the nearby vicinity of that house and intended for that house,” Becchina said.
‘It was a joy every day to get a chance to see her’
Angie Daniels, Senior Program Manager at Hope Center KC said a, “little princess,” came into her life seven years ago when Freeman began attending the after school program at the Hope Center. At the time, Kourtney was in the first grade, and Daniels was her reading buddy.
During the pandemic, Daniels said she found out what bus route Kourtney took. When it was time to deliver meals, she and Kourtney would wave at each other through the screen door.
“Kourtney changed my life, changed my world,” Daniels said. “ It was a joy every day to get a chance to see her.”
Growing up, Kourtney played basketball and was part of the step team. She was also a part of the Hope Leadership Academy and Ewing Marion Kauffman School where she imprinted on many peers and mentors, according to her obituary. She also was involved with Kauffman Cares and spoke out against injustice and embodied hope and resilience.
“Despite her tender age, Kourtney possessed a wisdom far beyond her years, approaching life with a grace and maturity that inspired all who knew her,” the obituary said. “Her insights were sought after, her perspective cherished, and her wisdom will continue to guide us in the days ahead.”
