In the early morning hours of August 24, 2024, a burst of gunfire outside a business near West 39th and Central streets in Midtown Kansas City killed 35-year-old Chester Brown III. The shooting happened just before 3:30 a.m.; emergency responders found Brown with a gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people, a man and a woman, were also struck and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police classified the incident as a homicide and the Kansas City Police Department opened an intensive investigation. Detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and sought video surveillance; initial accounts say a group had been gathered outside the business when the shots were fired. The family described Brown as a fun-loving man with a keen sense of style and urged anyone with information to come forward.

If anyone was near West 39th and Central around 3:30 a.m. on August 24 or has surveillance that could help, please share what you know with investigators.