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 America's most murderous cities per capita.
Young's killing was the city's 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 won't 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 hasn't 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 City's 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 didn't 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, it's 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.
He "didn't get a chance to live the life that he should have lived," Williams said.
Olivia Quinones, 19, a close friend of Young's, said she could call him for anything and he would be there for her. Quinones was shocked when she learned of the killing.
"It really, really hurt losing him," she said. "I just fell down and started crying."
In Kansas City, Young was one of 16 youths age 19 or younger who were killed last year.
Another was 15-year-old An'Janique Wright, who was shot and killed on the evening of Feb. 12 outside the Central Academy of Excellence at 3221 Indiana Avenue.
The city's youngest homicide victim, Jamarion Holland, was just two months old. A medical examiner determined the child's death was caused by complications of head and neck trauma. Prosecutors charged a 28-year-old man in his death.
The youngest victim to die by gunfire, 8-year-old Brian Bartlett, was killed Aug. 10 in a drive-by shooting while he slept in bed at his mother's home. Despite pleas for witnesses to come forward, Bartlett's slaying remains unsolved.
Later that month, Zavien Hall, 17, was killed and his 7-year-old sister was shot six times as she played nearby outside their home in the 4400 block of Cypress Avenue. That shooter remains at large.
When a young person is killed, their death leaves behind a trail of trauma, one that Kansas City Public Schools grappled with multiple times in 2019.
Every time a student is killed, Superintendent Mark Bedell finds himself breaking down in his office. Part of that pain stems from the loss of his 17-year-old brother, who was slain in a drive-by shooting, and "not really being able to bring that to closure," he said.
When students are grieving, Bedell said, academics "go out the window." As soon as school officials find out about a traumatic event, such as a homicide or a suicide, they begin coordinating. Crisis counselors then begin their work.
The district recently held a forum with students impacted by violence.
"It was heart wrenching to sit in that room and for those kids to say, 'Hey, we're hurting,'" said Lateshia Woodley, the executive director of student support services. "'We come to school, we know that we're not able to give 100%, but we don't know how to deal with this pain.'"
The district recently received a $2.5 million grant that will boost trauma-informed initiatives by expanding a mentoring program and increasing the number of clinicians, bringing the total to 19 in January.
Homicide investigations
Forty-three% of last year's homicides had been cleared by Dec. 31. In recent years, Kansas City police have solved homicides at a lower rate than the national average.
Several shortcomings in the police department's homicide unit were identified in an assessment produced as part of the National Public Safety Partnership.
The report recommended allowing detectives who are promoted to stay in the homicide unit.
It suggested the unit develop a "murder book" concept, which would standardize reports for each case, making investigations easier for detectives and prosecutors to manage.
The report said the unit needs more detectives, a step which police officials said is now in the works. The assessment also noted the department does not staff a cold case squad.
Rosilyn Temple, founder of Kansas City's chapter of Mothers in Charge, said she supports the formation of such a unit to get fresh eyes on older cases. Her son Antonio Thompson, 25, was killed in November 2011. No one has been brought to justice, but Temple said she still holds out hope that an arrest will be made.
The report endorsed several changes that could help investigations, including the implementation of sufficiently-funded witness protection and relocation protocols, so more people will come forward with information.
Baker, the prosecutor, has been searching for a path to get a witness protection program. The city needs to build a safety plan for shooting victims similar to what is already done for domestic violence victims, she said.
"We are lacking it," Baker said. "It is a dangerous place for victims and witnesses."
Other cities with less violent crime, such as Denver, have implemented such programs, she said.
Earlier this year, the police department declined to apply for a grant with the prosecutor's office that would have funded witness relocation, Baker has said.
Nathan Garrett, president of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, said the department is working with lawmakers to develop a fund to assist witnesses and victims during investigations, not just after charges have been filed.
Daniel said the responsibility for protecting witnesses has fallen on organizations like AdHoc Group Against Crime, which recently relocated a man. Homicide detectives have also used their own money to relocate witnesses.
Earlier this year, Daniel toured several cities that have reduced violent crime.
"Focused deterrence kept coming up as one of those efforts, however, it looks different everywhere you go," he said. "It could certainly be improved here and I think that's something we should definitely take another look at."
Kansas City established KC NoVa, a focused deterrence program, in 2013. Efforts were concentrated on identifying a small group of individuals responsible for most of the city's violent crime. The strategy used "call-in" sessions where violent offenders heard from organizers, community activists, former offenders and relatives of murder victims. Offenders were told to change their behavior or find themselves back in jail. In turn, they were offered social services.
The program saw early success in 2014, when the city saw a historic low of 86 homicides. Then the numbers increased.
And in June, local and federal law enforcement announced that KC NoVa would end.
Now police and prosecutors are looking to "Project Safe Neighborhoods," which has been around since 2001 and was relaunched by federal authorities in 2017. The initiative targets people who police consider the most violent and persistent offenders, and has been credited with reducing violence in other cities, such as Camden, New Jersey.
Focused deterrence can't just come from police, Daniels said, but must include local advocates who know the neighborhoods and are trusted by community members.
In Kansas City, the number of homicides has been rising steadily in recent years. The city saw 114 in 2015, 133 in 2016 and then 145 in 2018, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.
Two-thirds of those killed in 2019 were black males, according to police data, contributing to Missouri's No. 1 ranking for black homicide victimization.
Another 77 people lost their lives to homicide in other parts of the metro area. In Kansas City and its surrounding jurisdictions, a total of 31 youths were killed last year.
Part of Kansas City's homicide rate likely stems from accessibility to handguns, said Ken Novak, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
More than 90% of killings last year were carried out with a firearm.
When guns are nearby, arguments are far more likely to turn deadly, Novak said.
"I have no reason to believe that people in Kansas City are any more argumentative or violent than people in other cities," he said. "But when there is more accessibility to guns, people have an opportunity to make poor, rash decisions."
Novak said simply counting the number of homicides is not the best barometer for measuring public safety in the city generally. Instead, he said, the number of victims should be one factor in a more holistic consideration of the city's well-being.
Another measure is the number of nonfatal shootings. In 2019, more than 480 people were shot in Kansas City and survived. The vast majority don't end in an arrest.
Since being elected mayor, Lucas has met with Gov. Mike Parson and Smith, Kansas City's police chief, to discuss ways to reduce gun violence. His office also has spurred measures to keep firearms out of the hands of juvenile offenders and domestic abusers.
Lucas said he wants to implement a gun buyback program as another way to remove illegal firearms from the streets.
Xavier Young's mother and his friend said guns are a major problem.
"People need to put the guns down," Quinones said. "People don't realize how special life is until someone's gone."
Williams agreed.
"It has to start with the guns," she said. "As of today, anyone can get a hold of a gun. It doesn't matter how old you are, who you are, what type of criminal justice background you have. They're still able to get their hands on guns and that should not be acceptable."
Meanwhile, Williams continues to wait for justice.
No one has been arrested in her son's killing. Police said they have few leads and need the public's help to solve the case. As with dozens of other unsolved homicides from 2019, police encouraged anyone with information to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
"I believe deep down in my heart there will be justice," Williams said. "I pray every day."
