On a Monday morning in Kansas City, Kansas, the life of 36-year-old Stephen David Bagley Jr. was cut short by gunfire. A resident of the city, Bagley was a victim of a homicide that unfolded on September 21, 2026, in a residential neighborhood.
The shooting happened around 6:40 a.m. at the intersection of North 18th Street and Longwood Avenue. When officers from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department arrived, they found Bagley with apparent gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident sent a shockwave through the community as a school bus was caught in the crossfire. A USD 500 bus carrying ten high-school aged students on its normal route was inadvertently struck by a stray bullet. While the event was terrifying, none of the students on board were injured. Police later stated they believed Bagley was the intended target and that the school bus was not.
The sound of the gunshots was traumatic for neighbors. One resident reported hearing the shots and then finding two girls who had been at a bus stop hiding behind his truck. Following the incident, eight of the students on the bus were picked up by their parents, while district staff took the remaining two to school.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department’s major case unit is actively investigating the homicide. As of September 2026, no suspects have been taken into custody, and the case remains unsolved. Authorities urge anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
