The early hours of Saturday brought grief to a quiet Midtown neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, after 34-year-old Jose Poole was found shot to death behind an apartment complex just north of the busy Westport area.
Police say the shooting unfolded shortly after 2 a.m. on March 7, 2026, in the 3900 block of Baltimore Avenue. Officers with the Kansas City Police Department were dispatched to the area after reports of gunfire broke the silence of the night. While they were still on the way, the call was upgraded to confirm that someone had been shot behind an apartment building.
When officers arrived, people at the scene directed them toward a back parking lot behind the apartments. There, they found Jose Poole lying unresponsive with gunshot wounds. Emergency medical crews were rushed to the location, but despite their efforts, Poole was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say early information suggests Poole had some kind of interaction with one or more individuals in the parking lot before the situation suddenly escalated. At some point during that encounter, gunfire erupted, leaving Poole mortally wounded. Authorities have not yet identified any suspects and no arrests have been announced.
Detectives spent hours canvassing the area for witnesses and searching the scene for evidence as the neighborhood woke up to flashing lights and police tape. The apartment buildings sit just north of Westport Road, an area known for its nightlife but typically quieter in the early morning hours when the shooting occurred.
For those who knew him, the loss has been deeply personal. Friends and relatives remember Jose Poole as a man whose presence brought warmth to the people around him. His sudden death has left loved ones struggling to process how quickly a normal night turned into a tragedy.
Neighbors say the violence has shaken the community. Many described the area as active but close-knit, where residents recognize each other in passing. The death of Poole has left an emptiness that friends say will not easily fade.
As investigators continue piecing together what happened in the moments before the gunfire, Poole’s family is left holding onto memories of the man they loved. In the days ahead, those closest to him say they will focus on honoring his life while hoping answers soon emerge about the violence that took him away.
