The 39-year-old Ethiopian immigrant, Tariku Fite, was tragically killed on the afternoon of October 9, 2021, in Riverside, Missouri. A resident of the area who had lived in the United States for over a decade, Fite was known to his community as a dedicated member of the Ebenezer Oromo Church and a man who frequently assisted other newcomers in adapting to life in a new country.
On the day of the incident, he stopped at a QuikTrip gas station located in the 4600 block of NW Gateway Avenue, reportedly on his way to work. While near his vehicle, a Jeep parked at the gas pumps, he was shot in the head at close range.
Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene shortly after 12:30 p.m. to find the male victim sprawled on the pavement. Despite the arrival of help, Fite had sustained a fatal wound and was pronounced dead at the location. The violence of the act stood in stark contrast to the victim’s reputation, leaving friends and family struggling to understand why someone they viewed as a peaceful and supportive figure would be targeted. Witnesses and surveillance footage from the gas station later helped investigators piece together the events that unfolded in the moments leading up to the shooting.
Law enforcement officers at the scene did not have to search far for a suspect. Daniel H. Kelati, a 50-year-old man from Kansas City, approached a police officer at the gas station and allegedly confessed to the crime immediately. According to court records, Kelati told the officer that he was the one who killed Fite, claiming that the victim had been following him. Officers took Kelati into custody without further incident. A subsequent search of Kelati’s vehicle revealed a handgun on the driver's seat, and investigators discovered a spent shell casing near the victim’s body that matched the ammunition found in the weapon.
Prosecutors in Platte County charged Kelati with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with Fite's death. During the investigation, it was revealed that the two men were acquainted and had worked for the same trucking company, though authorities noted there appeared to be no known history of animosity or 'bad blood' between them prior to the shooting. Kelati was held without bond in the Platte County Detention Center as he awaited court proceedings. The case moved through the legal system, with initial hearings scheduled shortly after the arrest, leaving the community to mourn the sudden loss of a man who had sought the American Dream.
