Kansas City man killed last week remembered for love of football, fishing and family

Aaron Eichelberger was supposed to attend his daughter’s graduation from Raytown South High School this Sunday.

But instead of celebrating a milestone, his family has been grieving.

The 42 year old was fatally shot May 14. He was found inside a crashed car at 88th Terrace and James A. Reed Road. He later died from his injuries.

On Saturday, Eichelberger’s family, including his parents, wife, five children and other community members gathered at Maple View Park in south Kansas City where they released red balloons into the sky.

One of the balloons — a foiled Kansas City Chiefs helmet — got stuck in the trees.

“He wanted to keep the Chiefs one close,” his niece Tiara Parker said.

Family remembered Eichelberger as a jokester, cook, fisher and football player.

“I call him the energy,” Parker said. “He was the person who would walk into a room and would literally light it up with his smile, his jokes. He was someone that, no matter what, he would easily put a smile on your face.”

Football, fishing and family

His father, Lavon Eichelberger, played outside linebacker at Jackson State University.

Aaron Eichelberger was his father’s only son and that’s how he developed a love for football. He was shorter than his dad, but bigger and stronger. He played football at Ruskin High School and ended up earning a scholarship to be a defensive lineman at Missouri Southern State University.

He developed a love for the Kansas City Chiefs, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes being his favorite player. He and Mahomes have the same middle name, he’d tell family: Lavon.

Anytime the Chiefs played he’d watch, sometimes even on his phone. He loved traveling to their road games, too. Once, he visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

“He went places that I’ve never been,” Lavon Eichelberger said.

And while he grew to love football from his father, he also had a passion for fishing, which came from his mother. Aaron Eichelberger’s favorite pastime was fishing and he often went at night because it was the best time, making sure to keep his boat lights on in the dark.

Sometimes he’d come back home and bring fish home for his kids. And it wasn’t just fish he loved cooking. He was the go-to chef when it came to barbecue including ribs and brisket.

“Any moment we needed a barbecue, anytime we needed cooking of that sort, he was ready and willing to be the one that’s on that grill,” Parker said. “We’ll miss that as well. No matter if he burnt it.”

Eichelberger had four daughters and one son and he loved hanging out with them and taking them out to eat. Some of them had different elements of his personality.

“That is the comforting thing for us is that we don’t lose Aaron completely, we still get to see him in the lives of his children,” said his cousin Monique Spriggs. “But he’s supposed to be here with us.”

‘Too many families are hurting’

Eichelberger death was Kansas City’s 59th homicide of 2022. The city has now suffered 63 homicides, which is more compared to this time in 2021 — 58 homicides. Last year became the second deadliest year in the city’s history, following a record 182 slayings in 2020.

Lavon Eichelberger said his family’s grief isn’t isolated.

“Too many families are hurting,” he said. “I’m really not angry. I’m hurt.”

There is no suspect information in his son’s killing, but his family is asking for anyone who knows anything to come forward.

Spriggs said that while only one life was lost, his killing has affected dozens of other lives.

“We now have to guide these teenagers and not let their hurt become anger,” she said. “This is not something our family is deserving of. We don’t get to give those kids their dad back.”

Anyone with information about the homicide can call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-8477.