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4-year-old Missouri boy killed after gunshots fired in the face from outside the apartment while he was asleep

LeGend M Taliferro was rushed to the hospital in a private vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival. The police suspect that 'this shooting was not random'
UPDATED JUL 1, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: A four-year-old boy was shot dead while he was asleep inside an apartment close to East 63rd Street and Paseo Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, during the early hours of June 29 morning. 

Around 2.30 am, KCPD officers were alerted of the shooting that had occurred at the Citadel Apartments in the 1600 Block of Bushman Road. The authorities shared that the child who was identified as LeGend M Taliferro had been asleep inside an apartment when he was struck by gunfire that had come from outside the apartment. 

The child was rushed to the hospital in a private vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival. KCPD spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina who said that this is the 92nd homicide of 2020, revealed, "Obviously a young juvenile victim asleep inside of an apartment is really unfortunate."

"Detectives are really hopeful someone will come forward with some bit of information to help point them to a suspect," KSHB says. The KCPD had taken to Twitter to share that the apartment was targeted and that "this shooting was not random". 

According to KMBC News, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas weighed in on the tragic incident and said, "This is a nightmare for any parent and I can’t imagine the pain with which they’re dealing this morning. The boy was asleep. Malicious shooting with no regard for others claims another innocent life in our city."

Lucas says the government is doing all it can to help. “Somebody also has to tell people, ultimately, don’t resolve situations with a gun,” he said. “I ask people [to] mentor that young person that may not be acting right now. Talk to somebody who needs some guidance, some monitorship. Trust me, I’ve done that, too,” he added.

Many social media users commented on the tragic news online and expressed their grief. One such user wrote, "Im so tired of hearing about senseless deaths and violence. I know it's a pipe dream but please can we just live in peace??" Another user, "People need to step up and come together to safe innocent people. Need to speak up on who is doing the killings. If not speaking up you are part of the problem. Prayers to his family. I can not imagine a child."

KCPD Chief Rick Smith shared, "We don’t know the true motivation yet, but we do think this place was targeted." Detectives are looking all over the apartment for any witnesses who may have seen or heard something." Last year at the 25th annual American Heart Association's  Kansas City Heart & Stroke Walk and 5K, LeGend's mother Charron Powell had spoken about her son being diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot when he was born. He had his first open-heart surgery in 2016. 

Powell shared, "He had tetralogy of Fallot, which is four different heart defects in one, so he had a heart murmur and another hole in his heart, which causes the blood to not flow correctly through his body."

Police ask anyone with information on this crime to call homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There could be a $25,000 reward for anyone with information leading to an arrest. 

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