KANSAS CITY, Mo. Xavier Young was thrilled to learn he had been hired as a security guard. It would allow him to begin a new chapter in life after he graduated from high school despite struggling with ADHD and bipolar disorder.
But hours later, the 18-year-old was fatally shot in Kansas City one of Americas most murderous cities per capita.
Youngs killing was the citys third on Nov. 6, in a year marked by deadly violence. With 151 slayings in 2019, Kansas City neared its record of 155 homicides set just two years earlier.
Elected officials expressed shock and sorrow at the homicide numbers, which have been rising since 2015.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said she was appalled, dismayed, disappointed. Mayor Quinton Lucas called homicides, most of which are carried out with guns, the most important issue facing the city.
We will take on every option, Lucas said. If that means me going to Jefferson City every week and making friends, we wont give up until we make sure our city is safer.
The tragic count comes on the heels of criticism that the Kansas City Police Department hasnt staffed enough homicide detectives. A report recommended the department make changes to keep experienced detectives in the homicide unit, create a standardized format for detectives case files and petition for a well-funded state or county witness protection program.
More than half of Kansas Citys 2019 homicides remained uncleared as the new year began, leaving killers on the streets to possibly shoot again.
In 2020, law enforcement will be judged by the effectiveness of a violence reduction initiative that was retooled after parts of the Kansas City No Violence Alliance were dismantled. Some officials said the strategy meant to deter violent crime didnt work.
Those priorities, in terms of how a police department is operated and divided up, or what divisions exist, really lay under the leadership of the person that is responsible for those things, said Damon Daniel, president of AdHoc Group Against Crime. In this case, its being the chief of police.
Kansas City police said they plan to devote more resources to solving shootings. In November, Police Chief Rick Smith disbanded the popular mounted patrol unit, a move that will add eight detectives to the homicide unit Jan. 12.
Also in January, police officials said, the department wants to double from 12 to 24 the number of detectives who investigate nonfatal shootings.
Citizens have a right to live in a safe community, Deputy Police Chief Roger Lewis, who commanded criminal investigations before retiring at the end of 2019, said in December. And we have a duty to do what we can to provide that.
Xavier Young was Sheila Williams only child.
Young was outgoing, loved spending time with his cousins children and was skilled at working with electronics, relatives said. He was getting help for mental health issues, Williams said. But all that was cut short when he was shot in the 2400 block of Chelsea Avenue.
