Following double homicide, neighborhood says concerns aren’t being heard: ‘Knew it was coming’
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Citadel neighborhood residents said their concerns regarding gun violence have fallen on deaf ears at City Hall, with KD, and the out of state apartment owner after a double homicide on Monday.
“We’re very frustrated,” said Linda Braxton, the Citadel Center Homeowners Association co-president. “We have been dealing with shootings at this complex all summer. We were waiting, holding our breath, hoping that no one got killed in our community. I don’t know who these people are that got killed tonight. My heart goes out to them and the residents of the Charter Landing Apartments, but we knew it was coming.”
Kansas City Police said that about 3:30 p.m. Monday, law enforcement responded to an apartment complex in the 6000 block of Blue Hills Road and found a man dead in a vehicle that was in the parking lot. A woman was taken to a hospital and died there.
“We knew it was coming,” said Braxton. “We kept telling the apartment owners, we kept telling KD, we had meetings with HUD, KD, the owners, our council reps, asking for help and nothing substantial has happened.”
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She said the apartment complex has cameras, but they would go offline. After meeting with the apartment owner, they recommended a parking permit system. Braxton said the complex put one into effect, but didn’t enforce it.
“We have had several meetings and it’s disheartening when you set up those meetings and the owner doesn’t show, even after confirming and saying they will be there,” said Leah Banks, a board member of the HOA. “That doesn’t show cooperation. We are asking simple questions, such as: they say they have hired security. Where are they? What is the company name? When the owner tells you he doesn’t know their name, that is disheartening. The lack of urgency because it’s not on his block, in his town, in his city where he is, I don’t think he is taking this situation seriously and unfortunately, lives were lost tonight.”
They both say the shootings would spill out from the complex into the surrounding neighborhood, particularly along Highland Ave, where some bullets went into people’s homes.
“One of the residents it happened to was an Iraqi war veteran who suffers from PTSD,” said Braxton. “He couldn’t even talk about it afterwards. All of our neighbors on Highland have been traumatized by this. Another lady wasn’t home but came home the next night and found a bullet in her pillow. That’s why we continue to fight. We continue to fight for our neighbors and for the residents. The people who live in the apartments are our neighbors. Most everyone who lives there are just hardworking people who just want to live. Just a few bad apples, just like any place else.”
They said they will continue to fight for their community and hope the city and apartment owner will help them keep the community safe.
“We just don’t feel like any of the people we are meeting with is responsive to our needs,” said Braxton. “This is what happens when they are not responsive. It’s extremely disheartening, but we cannot give up the fight. We will continue to do what we can to get this situation under control so that no one else has to lose their life.”
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