Paul Thompson
Northeast News

On Thursday, October 26, a homicide was recorded in the Historic Northeast for the third time in as many days.
Just after 2 p.m., officers responded to a shooting near the intersection of 7th and Norton. At the scene they found a black male down in the middle of the street, though it was KCFD who declared the victim deceased. A suspect was described to authorities as a black male with a thin build who was clean-shaven and dressed in a gray hooded sweatshirt.

The shooting marks the 120th homicide in Kansas City, Missouri so far in 2017. In an October 27 email, KCPD identified the victim as 55-year-old KCMO resident Harlan K. Dunbar. The homicide marked a particularly violent week in the Historic Northeast community, where 17 homicides have now been committed in 2017.
At approximately 8 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, October 25, officers were called to the corner of Independence and Elmwood Avenue in the Indian Mound Neighborhood on the call of a shooting. Upon arrival officers located the body of a Black male in his mid 20’s with no signs of life.
Neighbors reported hearing the shots, then seeing a white vehicle flee the scene northbound on Elmwood Avenue.

Around the time of the crime, a white sedan with tinted windows can be seen on private surveillance video proceeding north on Elmwood Avenue toward Independence Avenue. The vehicle pauses near the rear of an office building, then proceeds to the intersection, makes a quick left on Independence before a sharp right on Elmwood.

Shortly afterward a woman from one of the businesses near the intersection exited the office and looked up North Elmwood Avenue toward the area where the shots were heard and the body was discovered. Police indicated that they were interviewing witnesses and the investigation is ongoing.

KCPD has since identified the victim as 31-year-old John Owens Jr. of Kansas City, Missouri.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, October 24, police responded to the 3600 block of Roberts Avenue on an ambulance call. Upon arrival officers discovered the body of a male victim of unknown race down in an alleyway. Kansas City Fire personnel responded and declared the person dead at the scene. The homicide was the 117th murder this year in Kansas City and the third homicide in the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood in the last six months.

KCPD issued a press release identifying the victim of the homicide on the 3600 block of Roberts as 39-year-old Lovell J. Smith of Kansas City, Missouri.

Anyone with any information on these crimes is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).