Alex Molike Benson, 22, was found dead inside an apartment in the 6300 block of Manchester Avenue in Kansas City on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Officers responding to a report of a shooting just after 2:30 p.m. discovered Benson unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds; emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. The death was ruled a homicide and was one of three homicides in the city that day.

Benson was born May 17, 2002, to Teresa Wille and Cephas Benson and attended several local schools, including Nashua Elementary, Smith Hale, Ruskin High, and North Kansas City High School. He had participated in basketball, football, and boxing while growing up.

Investigators later identified a suspect. Court filings allege that a witness saw Kaveon Cottonham, 27, on top of Benson striking him with his elbows moments before a shooting, and that Benson had called that witness earlier asking them to come and get Cottonham because he was acting weird. Cottonham was found wounded at a QuikTrip in Raytown, treated at a hospital, and later taken into custody on charges including second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm; he is being held without bond.

Does anyone have information about Benson, the apartment complex, or that afternoon that could help investigators?