Kansas City Persons Of 2024: Lisa Lopez-Galvan & Shaun Brady

The TKC "person of the year" award will be shared posthumously between two beloved locals killed by gun violence. 

Moreover . . .

The intention here is that our tribute isn't the typical saccharine sentiment that mourns the unfathomable loss suffered local communities amid rampant gun violence. 

Instead . . .

We can only hope that the tragic & violent deaths of Lisa Lopez-Galvan & Shaun Brady serve to demonstrate that Kansas City STILL isn't serious about confronting deadly youth violence.  

Of course local political elite will disagree . . .  Nevertheless . . . Here is our contention . . .

In the aftermath of Lopez-Galvan's shooting . . . Despite global attention garnered by mass shooting gunfire at the Chiefs Super Bowl rally . . . Several of the teens involved were not tried as adults. Most of them are back at home with little consequence following gunfire that might have dramatically impacted the economic future of Kansas City.

And then, only months later . . . 

A second teen involved in the tragic death of Irish chef Shaun Brady was released. Even worse, juvenile detention custody and charges were denounced by local activists as "kidnapping" and "racism" after those allegations were subsequently dismissed amid citywide political pressure.

And so, this our contention at the end of 2024 and moving forward . . . 

If Kansas City teens are allowed to kill without consequence whilst garnering political protection and racially charged defense: Our homicide crisis will only worsen over time.

In the final analysis . . .

We doubt any thing is going to change because of a www.TonysKansasCity.com year-end post . . .

However . . . 

What we hope is that the ideas that we share not only serve to honor the memory of two locals murdered in cold blood but also inspire our elected leaders, journalists and voters to consider the implications of so much culture war rhetoric and how it impacts public policy and ultimately influences increasingly dangerous life on local streets. 

Developing . . .