Carlos Gonzalez was a 17-year-old Hispanic junior at J.C. Harmon High School described as a respected student, multi-sport athlete and team leader. Raised by his older sister Maria Rodriguez after their mother’s death, he had recently started a job at UPS and was close to his family; his girlfriend recalled he often said live in the moment.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, March 7, 2024, Carlos and his best friend, 19-year-old Kalob Ruth, were in a wooded area within Kansas City when both were shot. They were not found at the scene but were transported by a private vehicle to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where police were notified around 12:45 a.m. Both teens were pronounced dead despite emergency care. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department opened a double homicide investigation focused on the wooded area.

Detectives briefly detained an adult male for questioning the day of the shooting but later released him and filed no charges; no arrests have been made and the case remains open as of March 2024. If anyone has information, contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).