A teenage girl from Kansas City was fatally shot while she was inside her home by an unknown gunman.
Law enforcement personnel were called shortly after 10:00 p.m. on Saturday to a home in the 3600 block of Norton Avenue. When they arrived, police found the teenage victim unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound.
Teenage Girl Fatally Shot Inside Home
The spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department, Capt. Jake Becchina, said that the teenage girl was declared dead at a hospital. He added that preliminary evidence indicated that the victim was inside her home when gunfire from one or more people from outside struck her.
On Sunday, law enforcement authorities did not identify the teenage girl by name or specify how old she was. Officials are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact homicide detectives to help find the suspect/s, according to The Kansas City Star.
Later on, the age and identity of the girl were shared with the public, letting them know that she was 16-year-old Traelynn Sibley. Following the tragic incident, Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a statement talking about the victim's untimely passing as well as the violence rates in Kansas City.
He said that every life that is taken by violence is a tragedy, saying that this year, there have been too many tragedies that have claimed the lives of women and girls. He extended his condolences to the families of the victim in what he called a "preventable and cowardly" act.
Lucas said they will continue to invest more resources for those leaving domestic crises, enhance opportunities for young people, and focus on violent offenders for swift and certain justice and severe consequences, Fox4KC reported.
Building a Safer City
The mayor noted they will not stop fighting to provide a safer environment for the people who live in Kansas City. He added that Sibley's tragic death marks the 100th homicide this year alone, which is a number that the city has reached in 33 of the last 40 years.
A similar incident took place in Detroit on Sunday night when a teenager died after being shot while trying to rob a man. Police said that officers responded to the shooting on the 3100 block of Hendricks Street shortly before 11:00 p.m.
The 15-year-old was allegedly trying to rob a man in his 20s, who had a concealed pistol that he used to shoot the would-be robber. Officers found the teen around four blocks from where they initially responded, as per CBS News.
