On January 7, 2020, officers from the Kansas City Police Department were dispatched to a reported shooting in the southern part of the city. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the 400 block of East Minor Drive, situated near the Minor Park area. Upon arrival at the scene, first responders discovered a male victim lying on the front porch of an apartment building. He was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 32-year-old Raphael O.
Lee, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri. Despite the response of emergency services, Lee succumbed to his injuries, marking the city's second homicide of the year.
Detectives immediately began canvassing the neighborhood for potential witnesses and evidence, while crime scene investigators processed the area around the apartment complex. At the time of the initial investigation, police did not release a description of a suspect, nor were there immediate reports of any individuals taken into custody. Authorities urged the public to come forward with any information that could assist in identifying the person or persons responsible for the shooting, offering a cash reward for tips leading to an arrest. Subsequent reports from later in the year indicated that the case remained under investigation without announced charges against a specific suspect.
Friends and family remembered Raphael Lee as a dedicated father and a supervisor at the Kansas City Water Department. Tributes highlighted his devotion to his children and his presence in the lives of his loved ones. He was known to have attended Grandview Christian School and was described by those who knew him as a caring man who worked hard to support his family. Funeral services were held later that month at Serenity Funeral Home, following a visitation where community members gathered to pay their respects to the victim of this violent act.
