On February 7, 2025, 21-year-old Black female Shayla Key was shot and killed inside an apartment at the Hawthorne Place complex on East 5th Street North in Independence, Missouri, near Highway 291. Officers arrived after reports of gunfire around 2:45 a.m.; first responders found Key with a gunshot wound and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation is active. Detectives have canvassed the area for witnesses and evidence, and authorities have asked community members with any information to come forward. No arrests have been announced, no suspect descriptions have been released, and police have not publicly identified a motive.

If anyone saw or heard anything around Hawthorne Place on the night of February 7 that could help, please share what you know with the Independence Police Department.