On October 19, 2020, 44-year-old Cristobal Gutierrez-Castillas was fatally shot in Kansas City, Missouri. The incident took place shortly after noon in the 4400 block of Tracy Avenue in the city's urban core. Officers from the Kansas City Police Department responded to reports of a shooting and discovered the male victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was transported to a local hospital for emergency treatment but was later pronounced dead.
Surveillance footage from the area captured the events leading up to the homicide. The video showed suspects arriving at the scene on scooters before engaging in a verbal altercation with the victim and others who were standing near a truck. During the argument, one of the suspects produced a firearm and fired a single shot, striking Gutierrez-Castillas. Following the shooting, the gunman was observed going through the victim’s pockets and taking his cellphone before fleeing the scene with the other individuals.
Authorities later identified a suspect, Jayvon G. Hunter, who was 16 years old at the time of the offense. Detectives utilized DNA evidence recovered from the victim’s stolen cellphone to link Hunter to the crime. In June 2021, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Hunter had been certified to stand trial as an adult. He was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. A second suspect, whose name was redacted from initial court records, was also seen in the surveillance video gesturing as if he were armed, though specific charges against this individual were not detailed in the available reports.
