On a summer evening in Kansas City, Missouri, the life of a young father and musician was tragically cut short. Freddie Nevels, a 23-year-old Black man, was shot and killed on Friday, July 21, 2017. The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. in the front yard of a home on the 3800 block of East Sixth Street in the city's Northeast neighborhood. Nevels, who was a father to two children, was known for his love of music; he was a drummer and a singer who was actively working on getting his music out to a
wider audience.
In the days following the shooting, Freddie's family, including his sister Tasha James and brother Tony Nevels, sat on the very steps where he was killed, pleading for peace and justice. They described the maddening feeling of seeing the individuals they believe were responsible for Freddie's death driving around and taunting them. The family recounted that Freddie had been in a fight earlier, but no guns were involved. They believe someone later returned with the intention of retribution, leading to the fatal shooting. Despite their grief and anger, the family urged against any form of retaliation, echoing the sentiments of their father who stated, 'Enough's enough.'
The family expressed frustration with the initial police response, stating that they had minimal contact with detectives in the critical first 48 hours after the murder. They pointed out the existence of potential witnesses and surveillance video in the neighborhood. A police spokeswoman assured the public that detectives were 'working tirelessly on this case' and had secured surveillance footage, though it would not be released.
As of November 2017, Freddie Nevels' murder was the 83rd homicide in Kansas City that year, a significant increase from the previous year's pace. Despite his family's pleas and the ongoing police investigation, no arrests had been made in connection with his death. His case was listed among the unsolved homicides in the Kansas City metro area for 2017, and anyone with information was urged to contact the TIPS hotline. There have been no subsequent reports of arrests or suspects being charged in the killing of Freddie Nevels.
