Three homicides took place this weekend in Kansas City, and police are investigating another suspicious death this morning in the 3200 block of Victor. More information on that will be released when it becomes available.
The first homicide this weekend took place at 1:43 a.m. August 7 in the 2600 block of Poplar. Police found 16-year-old Romar Phillips, dead in the yard of a vacant house.
Then at 5:09 a.m. August 7, police were called to the 3800 block of Baltimore on a shooting. Police found 23-year-old Lance Rutter dead of an apparent gunshot wound.
At 4:03 a.m. August 8, police were called to the 2300 block of Mercier on a shooting. Officers found a victim at Cesar Chavez and Mercier with an apparent injury from a gunshot. The victim refused emergency medical treatment for the non-life-threatening injury. Officers were notified a second victim, who apparently had been shot at the same location, had been taken to a hospital. He later died of his injuries and has been identified as 28-year-old John P. Garcia. Homicide detectives are looking for the suspect vehicle, which is a white Ford Crown Victoria with Kansas plates. It should have fresh front-end damage.
Anyone with information in any of these homicides is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
These murders mark the 64th, 65th and 66th homicides of the year in Kansas City.
