kansascity | Jennifer Jones was driving westbound on Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard
last week when she did something many drivers have done: She
inadvertently cut off another driver.
But in this case, an
occupant of the other vehicle escalated the temporary situation into a
permanent tragedy. He opened fire into Jones’ van, hitting her in the
side and killing her.
The killing was one of 15 in Kansas City last month — the most killings logged in January in nearly 20 years.
The
alarming amount of bloodshed prompted state Rep. Brandon Ellington, a
Democrat from Kansas City, to host a forum Saturday to discuss solutions
to prevent homicides.
“Right now in the black community, we’re
not valuing life,” he said. “There is a lack of respect for ourselves
and our own lives.”
