On the evening of July 21, 2024, deputies from the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office responded to Klamm Park, 2515 N. 27th Street in Kansas City, Kansas, after reports of a shooting. Eighteen-year-old Branden Jamal Baskin, a Black/African American male born December 6, 2005, was found at the scene and pronounced dead; his death was ruled a homicide. The shooting was the 16th homicide in Kansas City, Kansas, for 2024.

Investigators arrested three people in connection with the case: two adults and one juvenile. Court documents stated the fatal shooting occurred during an attempt by one of the adults, identified as 21-year-old LaRon Jaka Belcher III, to sell or distribute a controlled substance. Belcher was charged with first-degree murder and booked into the Wyandotte County Jail with bond set at $200,000. The other two suspects taken into custody were not publicly charged with murder.

Branden was remembered for his radiant smile, his love of riding dirt bikes, and working on cars with his grandfather. If anyone knew Branden or has information about the shooting at Klamm Park, please share what can help the investigation.