Nonfatal shootings in Kansas City have jumped 39% this year. Over 40 victims have been kids

Nonfatal shootings have spiked 39% so far this year, despite recent efforts at tackling Kansas City’s gun violence problem.

That uptick is in part attributed to the mass shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl rally where two dozen people were shot and one bystander was killed on Valentine’s Day.

But even March saw a drastic increase — 42% — with 51 nonfatal shootings, according to Kansas City Police Department data presented at this week’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting. That’s compared to 36 recorded in both 2022 and 2023.

As of April 23, there have been 190 nonfatal shootings compared to 137 in 2023. Last year, the city suffered a record-breaking 185 homicides. That rate is down this year, with 44 homicides compared to 51 at the same time last year.

“The alarming rise in non-fatal shooting numbers does not get lost on us,” said Sgt. Phil DiMartino, a spokesman for the police department.

Of particular concern, he said, are the number of children who have become victims of gun violence. Forty-one youths have been shot and survived this year in Kansas City. Four of them were under age 13.

Seven children ranging in age from eight weeks to 17 have died in homicides this year, according to data tracked by The Star. At least one child has died in an accidental shooting.

Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city is addressing gun violence from all sides, including by providing resources for survivors of shootings, funding violence prevention programs and providing social services to those impacted by or at risk of violence.

“We all want our children and future generations of Kansas City to grow up in safe and vibrant neighborhoods,” Lucas said in a statement. “I have hope and I am committed to making it happen.”

Addressing gun violence

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