gun violence

Kansas City was recently dubbed the eighth most dangerous city in America. Local experts want residents to better understand the conditions that drive violent crime — and what will fix them.

Missouri's homicide victimization rate for its Black residents was 54.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, more than twice the national rate. The Violence Policy Center has issued the report for 20 years and Missouri has been either first or second every time.

Andre Harris, founder of the nonprofit Dads Against Crime, says that Kansas City's violent crime problem can't be fixed if people can't feel comfortable talking to law enforcement and discussing mental health.

Blair's Law makes it a crime in Missouri to fire a gun in a celebratory manor. The Jackson County prosecutor is encouraging people to call 911 so the office can charge offenders.

The killing of a Democratic state representative in Minnesota this past weekend has Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes concerned about her and her family's safety. The name of Missouri U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II was also included on the suspect's "hit list."

Federal authorities are also investigating the Washington, D.C. shootings as a hate crime and an act of terrorism. One of the victims, 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim, was a Prairie Village native.

Sarah Milgrim, who was from Prairie Village, was shot and killed along with her partner Yaron Lischinsky outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night. Both worked for the Israeli embassy, and the couple was about to leave for a trip to Israel.

Kansas schools now have $10 million in state funding to use AI to detect guns. But ZeroEyes, one of the few companies offering this service, has sent police false alerts before — and it won't say how often.

Currently, it’s illegal to bring guns on public transit even with a concealed carry permit. Supporters of the bill say it would allow passengers to protect themselves and safeguard Second Amendment rights, but opponents say it will endanger passengers.

James Lemons, 40, filed a lawsuit this week saying the Kansas City Sports Commission was negligent for failing to provide proper security for the Super Bowl rally on February 14, 2024. A commission spokesman said it disagrees with Lemons' “assertions.”

Feb. 14 marks the one year anniversary of the mass shooting at the Super Bowl parade that killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan and injured 24 others. In their series "The Injured" from KCUR and KFF Health News, reporters Peggy Lowe and Bram-Sable Smith spoke with survivors about how the shooting continued to impact their lives.

Survivors of last years' shootings at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade say their lives will never be the same. Some lost work or had relationships fail — even just seeing Chiefs jerseys can trigger bad memories.