In the afternoon hours of a Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, tragedy struck in a residential neighborhood. On October 2, 2021, a shooting incident in the area of 27th Street and Spruce Avenue claimed the lives of three individuals. Among them was 24-year-old Kanen Wheaton. When police responded to the call shortly before 4 p.m., they discovered three unresponsive adults who had been shot. Emergency medical crews arrived at the scene and declared all three, including Wheaton, deceased.
The other victims were identified as 24-year-old Devon Key and 23-year-old Johnnai Owens.
Kanen Xavier Wheaton was born on October 7, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri. He had attended Ace and Hope Academy as well as the Kansas City Job Corps. In his youth, he was active in little league baseball and football. He was a father to a daughter.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement had little information to go on. The suspect or suspects were reported to have fled the scene, but it was unclear if they left in a vehicle or on foot. The Kansas City Police Department appealed to the public for assistance, urging anyone with information to come forward to help them piece together the events that led to the triple homicide.
The investigation progressed, and authorities were able to identify and charge two suspects in connection with the killings. Joshua A. Bell, 21, and Lucas Baker were both charged with three counts of second-degree accessory murder, four counts of armed criminal action, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. Court records indicate that Baker also faced a charge for unlawful possession of a firearm. The breakthrough in the case came from witness statements and surveillance footage. Witnesses reported seeing a black Chevrolet Traverse arrive just before the shooting, with the occupants of the vehicle opening fire on the three victims. Police located the SUV parked at a residence and began surveillance. Baker was arrested with the keys to the vehicle in his possession. During questioning, he initially denied shooting but later admitted to firing at the victims' legs and identified Bell as being involved. A search of Bell's phone revealed a video from the day of the shooting, recorded from inside a Chevrolet Traverse, showing a passenger holding an AR-15 style rifle. A distinctive tattoo of dice on the forearm of the person holding the rifle matched a tattoo on Bell's forearm. Bell was arrested but denied his involvement in the shooting.
