Kansas City police are working through a violent Sunday evening that left two teenage boys dead in two separate shootings just minutes apart. Families are now grieving, and investigators are still trying to piece together exactly what happened.
The first shooting unfolded around 6:30 p.m. near 110th Terrace and Greenwood. Officers with the Kansas City Police Department arrived to find that 17-year-old Demetrius Smith had already been rushed away from the scene in a private vehicle. It was a frantic effort to save his life before first responders could even get there.
Not long after, police learned that Smith had been taken to a nearby fire station. Emergency crews treated him there before transporting him to a hospital. Despite those efforts, he did not survive. He was later pronounced dead from gunshot wounds, leaving behind a stunned community and loved ones searching for answers.
Early findings suggest there were several people in the area when gunfire broke out. Investigators say it appears there was some kind of exchange of shots, and Smith was caught in it. What led up to that moment remains unclear, and detectives are continuing to interview witnesses.
About 30 minutes later, another call came in. This time it was in the 7200 block of East 85th Terrace. Officers responded to find that a second teenager, 15-year-old Cavazion Williams, had also been shot.
Williams, like Smith, had been taken to a hospital by private vehicle before police arrived. Doctors tried to save him, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead shortly after.
Investigators believe Williams was outside a residence when one or more suspects opened fire and then fled the area. No arrests have been made in either case, and police have not said whether the two shootings are connected.
For now, Kansas City is left mourning two young lives lost in the span of a single hour. Detectives say both cases are still active, and they are urging anyone with information to come forward as they work to bring some measure of clarity—and justice—to two grieving families.
