On the freezing morning of December 14, 2022, police officers in Kansas City, Missouri, were dispatched to a residence in the 3600 block of Jefferson Street following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival at approximately 1:00 a.m., first responders discovered the lifeless body of 58-year-old Curtis Henderson on the front steps of the home. He had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, marking a tragic end to a dispute that had escalated rapidly in the preceding hours.
Investigators learned that
earlier that night, Henderson and a man identified as 51-year-old Francisco J. Enriquez had been inside the residence arguing. The situation grew tense when Enriquez allegedly threatened another person in the house, prompting Henderson to order him to leave. Enriquez complied initially, exiting the premises, but when he attempted to re-enter, he found the doors locked against him.
Minutes after the expulsion, security cameras captured a figure, later identified as Enriquez, breaking into a Ford Explorer parked in the home's driveway. Alerted to the intrusion, Henderson and two others went outside to confront the man. They discovered Enriquez inside the SUV. As Henderson turned to head back toward the safety of the house, Enriquez reportedly confronted him near the front steps, issuing further threats. Witnesses stated that Henderson, seemingly preparing to defend himself, replied, 'Let's do this then,' and raised his fists in a boxing stance.
Surveillance footage of the incident revealed the fatal sequence of events. The video showed Henderson kicking Enriquez in the midsection before adopting a defensive posture. In response, Enriquez allegedly drew a handgun and fired, striking Henderson and causing him to stumble and fall near the front door. The gunman fired a second shot toward another individual before fleeing the scene as the sound of approaching police sirens cut through the night. Following the investigation, Jackson County prosecutors charged Francisco J. Enriquez with second-degree murder, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action, issuing a warrant for his arrest as he remained at large in the immediate aftermath of the killing.
