Children killed in KC over past 2 decades to be honored at Hibbs Park memorial
As community leaders continue to address violence in Kansas City, plans took shape for a memorial honoring children who were killed in the last 23 years.
Children who lost their lives to violence in Kansas City will soon be honored with their names engraved at Hibbs Park. The Children’s Memorial, made of granite columns, will stand as a symbol of remembrance and a call to action against violence.
“We are honored to announce the establishment of a new monument, dedicated to the memory of children who have tragically lost their lives to violence,” Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw said in a statement. “This monument will stand as a symbol of remembrance, a testament to their enduring spirit.”
From April 15 through May 15, the city took public submissions of victim names from 2001 to 2024. A form on the Kansas City Parks and Recreation website showed at least 124 names were submitted by the public, all children under 18 who lost their lives to violence in Kansas City.
One name on that list is 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was fatally shot in the early hours of June 29, 2020, while he was sleeping at an apartment complex in Kansas City’s Citadel neighborhood.
LeGend’s death sparked outrage across Kansas City and led to a federal anti-crime initiative in his name.
“I’m grateful they are doing this to bring awareness and light to what is happening to our young children in our city,” said Charron Powell, LeGend’s mother.
Powell said she hopes the memorial not only honors the victims and their families but pushes the community to come together with solutions.
In the years since a man was sentenced for her son’s death, Powell has put her energy into serving the community. A big part of that has been bringing awareness to the issue of gun violence.
The Kansas City Police Daily Homicide Analysis shows that as of May 16, there have been 8 homicide victims 17 years old and younger in 2024.
“My family and I are just trying to pour into our community and give back as much as we can,” Powell said. “We build each other up and we stay positive.”
Powell said she is encouraged when she sees people trying to lift up each other after tragedy happens in their lives. She said the Children’s Memorial at Hibbs Park is just one example of that.
“It’s very important because not everybody has gotten justice,” she said. “It helps them remember that the community has not forgotten about them.”
The memorial will be constructed where benches currently sit with the name Erica Michelle Marie “Precious Doe” etched into them.
“Precious Doe”, went unnamed for almost four years after her remains were discovered near Hibbs Park. In 2005, police identified her as three-year-old Erica Green.
