In the early hours of a Sunday morning in Kansas City, Missouri, the lives of two cousins were tragically cut short in a sudden act of violence. Austin Quijas, a 28-year-old man, was killed on August 25, 2019, in a drive-by shooting that also claimed the life of his 22-year-old cousin, Leo Moreno Jr. The two had been enjoying a night out in the city's Power & Light District and were walking near the intersection of 12th and Walnut streets when the incident occurred.
According to police
reports and witness accounts, a vehicle pulled up alongside the group they were with, and an occupant opened fire. The shooting, which happened at approximately 2:15 a.m., left Moreno dead at the scene. Austin Quijas was critically injured and died on the way to the hospital. The Kansas City Police Department began investigating the case as a double homicide.
In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials stated that they did not believe the shooting was a random act of violence, suggesting that the victims may have been targeted. However, a specific motive for the shooting was not publicly identified. Detectives began the process of interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene in an effort to identify the suspect or suspects and the vehicle involved in the fatal shooting.
Despite the ongoing investigation and pleas from the victims' families for those with information to come forward, there have been no publicly announced arrests in connection with the murders of Austin Quijas and Leo Moreno Jr. The case remains an open investigation, and authorities have continued to encourage anyone with knowledge of the crime to contact the Kansas City Police Department or the TIPS Hotline. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. The shooting was one of several homicides that year, contributing to a concerning trend of gun violence in the city.
