Increased Reward

I have received enough commitments from an area church and elected officials to increase the reward from $5,000 to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest or filing charges in the shooting death of 9-year-old Dominic Young, Jr., a bright 3rd grader at Ingels Elementary School in the Hickman Mills School District.

Dominic was shot shortly after midnight January 20 near Emanuel Cleaver Blvd. and U.S. 71 Highway when his father’s car apparently was hit by a stray bullet from a rolling gunfight involving occupants of two other vehicles.  He died shortly thereafter.

Persons with information about Dominic’s killing may call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477, go to www.KC-crimestoppers.com or download the new free mobile app via links at www.P3Tips.com.  All tipsters remain anonymous and never have to speak directly to police or testify in court.

Those who have contributed funds for the reward increase include Concord Fortress of Hope Church; City Councilmembers Kevin McManus, Scott Taylor and Scott Wagner; State Representatives Richard Brown and DaRon McGee; and me.  

The reward for homicides in KCMO was increased from $2,000 to $5,000 on November 2. The city contributed $70,000 to cover the increased reward for 23 homicides.  I had suggested increasing the reward to Police Chief Rick Smith on September 23 as we participated in the Journey Through Grief Walk of the Kansas City Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children– that unfortunately I belong to with way too many other area parents. Smith pursued the idea from there.

Detective Kevin Boehm, Crime Stoppers coordinator, told me one of the $5,000 rewards already has been paid.  Barry Mayer, vice president of the Crime Commission, said there has been a rise in anonymous tips since the increase.