In the early morning hours of October 9, 2021, a violent incident unfolded in Kansas City, Missouri, involving a Black / African American teenager named Derrez Green. Officers from the Kansas City Police Department were dispatched to the 5300 block of Persimmon Trail around 12:45 a.m. following reports of a shooting in the area. Upon their arrival at the scene, law enforcement discovered the 16-year-old male victim inside a vehicle located in a parking lot.
He was suffering from gunshot wounds described by authorities as life-threatening.
Emergency responders transported the injured teen to a nearby hospital where medical personnel worked to treat his critical injuries. Despite their efforts, he remained in the hospital for several days fighting for his life. On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, police confirmed that Derrez Green had succumbed to his wounds, marking a tragic end to the week-long struggle for survival. His death was recorded as the 120th homicide in Kansas City for that year and he was identified as the 10th child under the age of 18 to be killed in a shooting in the city during 2021.
Investigators began processing the scene immediately after the shooting, but information regarding potential suspects remained scarce. In the days and weeks following the homicide, detectives appealed to the public for leads, urging anyone with knowledge of the event to contact the TIPS Hotline. Reports from the time indicated that no suspect information was immediately available to be released to the public, and no arrests were reported in the immediate aftermath of the crime. The case was categorized as an open investigation as police continued to search for those responsible for the fatal act.
