Family fights for answers after KCK woman is shot, killed in yard
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Family and friends packed the entire street to release balloons in honor of Denise Byrd Tuesday evening.
Byrd, 40, was shot and killed Monday morning near an apartment complex at 51st and Leavenworth Road.
Police said another man was shot in connection with her death and is currently in the hospital.
Jamie Byrd told KCTV5 that she wants justice for her sister.
“She didn’t deserve to die; she didn’t deserve to get shot and left for dead,” Byrd said. “I want justice for my sister, and I want her kids to know that their mom’s name isn’t going to be gone in vain.”
Byrd was a mother of four and the oldest sister to three siblings.
“She was my big sister, my strength when I didn’t have any,” said Charles Byrd. “When she loved someone, she loved fiercely, and she had such a big heart. She always made sure I was okay and had what I needed, even if it meant giving her last. I thought she was invincible.”
Everyone wants answers as to what led up to her death. Nearby residents told KCTV5 that it’s taken a toll on them too.
“Every time I think about it, I want to cry,” said Linda Harbin, who heard the shots. “I didn’t know her, but just people getting killed like that, it’s just uncalled for.”
Harbin said she ran out to see what happened and saw Byrd lying in the grass. Neighbors rushed to help her before she was rushed to the hospital.
“You sit up, and you wonder, somebody lost their mother, their daughter, you know, their cousin,” Harbin said. “It’s just senseless. To me, whoever did that, it’s senseless. Like it was a senseless killing.”
The shooting remains an ongoing investigation for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.
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