Kansas City, Kansas, teen charged with murder in fatal shooting across state line

A teenager was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in the October fatal shooting of a 44-year-old man in Kansas City, prosecutors said.

Jayvon Hunter, 16, of Kansas City, Kansas, was also charged with armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the Oct. 19 killing of Cristobal Gutierrez-Castillas, who was shot in the 4400 block of Tracy Avenue.

Officers responded to the shooting shortly after noon that day and found Gutierrez-Castillas suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He later died at a hospital.

Surveillance video showed an argument occurred before the shooting. Hunter could be heard saying, “you want to fight,” as he took out a gun and pointed it in the direction of three men standing near a truck, a detective wrote in charging documents.

A second suspect, whose name was redacted from records released Wednesday, pointed his hand in the same direction as if he also had a gun, police said. The three men retreated and appeared to take cover.

Hunter shot once, striking Gutierrez-Castillas, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. He went through the victim’s pockets and removed his cell phone, prosecutors said.

Police later found the phone. Lab technicians determined Hunter was a contributor of DNA found on it, prosecutors said.

Hunter was certified to stand trial as an adult. He did not yet have an attorney listed who could be reached for comment.

Gutierrez-Castillas’ homicide marked the 158th of 182 in what became Kansas City’s deadliest year on record.

Gun violence is the subject of a statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America and sponsored in part by Missouri Foundation for Health. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.

To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.