On the afternoon of July 4, 2024, Kansas City police were called to the 2200 block of East 69th Terrace and Brooklyn Avenue after reports of a shooting. Officers found 32-year-old Black male Cortez Jawan Caples lying unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a home; he had sustained fatal gunshot injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives say Caples had been involved in an interaction with one or more unknown individuals shortly before the shooting. That encounter escalated into violence and gunfire, but the exact nature of the dispute and the identities of those involved were not clear. The case was listed among the department’s unsolved homicides and no arrests had been announced. Authorities canvassed the area for witnesses, sought tips from the public, and offered a reward for information leading to an arrest.

If anyone saw activity near East 69th Terrace and Brooklyn Avenue around 3:00 p.m. on July 4, 2024, or knows anything about this shooting, please contact the Kansas City Police Department.