A Saturday afternoon in Kansas City ended in tragedy when 16-year-old Maximiliano Ruiz was shot and killed near 12th and Belmont. The shooting occurred just before 1 p.m. on April 26, 2025. Police found a vehicle in the roadway containing Maximiliano and 19-year-old Matthew Suri; both had fatal gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Maximiliano was born December 10, 2008, in Kansas City. He attended Success Academy, worked as a crew member at McDonald’s, and played basketball for East High School. Investigators say the two young men were inside the vehicle when they encountered one or more people and shots were fired. One person of interest was taken into custody for further investigation; no formal charges have been announced and the motive remains unclear. A reward of up to $25,000 has been offered for information leading to a conviction.

If anyone has information about what happened near 12th and Belmont on April 26, please come forward and share what you know.