KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the lawn of a Kansas City, Mo. church is over a hundred crosses, each bearing an individual’s name and representing a life lost to murder.
A high school senior and honor student, Rickey King, was killed in a drive-by shooting three years ago, and at the time, the pastor of Wornall Road Baptist Church called attention to the murder by putting a cross on the church’s lawn with his name on it. On Tuesday, the lawn was filled with 100 crosses bearing the names of people who also lost their lives to murder in 2013.
“As beautiful as Kansas City is and as great as Christmas time is, there are 100 plus of our citizens who aren’t with us this year who were last year, and they died because of murder,” said Pastor John Mark Clifton of the Wornall Road Baptist Church.
Pastor Clifton hopes these crosses will commit people to take a stand to stop homicides and realize the crosses are something we all have to bear.
One of the crosses represents 28-year-old Myeisha Turner, who would’ve turned 29 on Wednesday. She was killed, along with her three-year-old daughter, on August 23, 2013.
“If someone would shoot a three-year-old child for fear of being caught, we are in an evil world and we need to make it better,” said Pastor Clifton.
Henry Dean lost his 50-year-old brother, Aaron Dean, on December 8, 2013 after he was shot at a gas station at 44th and Paseo.
“I’m having a hard time dealing with it,” said Dean. “We don’t know why still, and that’s what hurts the most.”
To help relatives who have lost loved ones to murder, Pastor Clifton is hosting a prayer and remembrance service at the church on Friday, December 20, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Pastor Clifton said every name on the crosses will be read on Friday evening. He hopes relatives and friends who have lost loved ones this year and in years past will attend the service.
