‘We’ve got to do something now’

Police were investigating the scene after a deadly shooting occurred near 57th Street and Prospect Avenue in Kansas City. This is just the latest in a worrying trend for the city which in recent years has seen record-high homicide numbers. In 2023 alone, there have already been 176 homicides, putting the city on track to break its own record. The Mayor and the Police Chief have both spoken out about the alarming number of homicides. In addition to the Partners for Peace program, the City Council recently passed an ordinance accepting a U.S. Department of Justice grant to work on “focused deterrence” aiming to bring the number of homicides down. However, community leaders like Rosilyn Temple feel that much more needs to be done and that gun violence has reached the point of being a public Health emergency. She believes the city is in the midst of a moral crisis, as young people have easier access to guns and do not know how to handle conflicts. Unless the community comes together to address the issue, she worries that the situation will continue to worsen.