Family loses 2 relatives to gun violence in 3 weeks
By Betsy Webster
Click here for updates on this story
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — Kansas City police have identified the woman killed on Wednesday at I-670 and Broadway as 36-year-old Crystal Rayner.
Her family knew her as Monique. She had been caring for her niece’s three young children after her niece was shot and killed outside a Kansas City nightclub less than three weeks ago.
Police have given no indication of what led up to the shooting, but the organization that has been assisting her family said the outcome is far too common: a single family experiencing a cavalcade of losses and challenges due to violence.
“To see some of our staff in tears and crying for this family is the humanity behind it,” said Branden Mims, the chief operating officer of the AdHoc Group Against Crime.
AdHoc staff initially met the family after a shooting outside the Klymax Lounge nightclub. Five people were shot and three killed. One of them was Antoinette Brenson, who was known by friends as Libby. She was 24. Her killing left three children without a mother. Monique stepped in to fill that role.
“In the midst of trying to figure out how to move on and put their life back together again, another shattering event occurs,” Mims said. “What I want your viewers to know and to understand is this is every single day in Kansas City.”
Police initially responded to I-670 and Broadway at 5:38 Wednesday morning on a call about a wreck. They found Rayner inside her car, shot. She died at the hospital soon after. Police gave no indication the two crimes are connected. They would not speculate whether either woman was targeted.
“Whether you’re the target or an innocent bystander, it’s just the culture — the gun culture and the culture of violence — that we are working to fight against,” Mims said. “Kansas City has developed a culture of violence where any disagreement or any situation could cause someone to pick up a gun and start shooting.”
He wanted to make one thing clear: People are hurting and they need healing, but the families they deal with are also resilient. They will care for Libby’s three children with as much love as Monique did, and AdHoc will do what they can to help those children process this.
A GoFundMe set up after Libby’s death has raised more than $3,000 from 54 donations.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
