Courtney Wickman was celebrating her 33rd birthday with friends at a Midtown Kansas City rooftop bar on the evening of Saturday, October 21, 2023. She and her sister, Samantha Wickman, were leaving the establishment at 3835 Main Street just after 10:30 p.m. when gunfire erupted in the parking lot. A stray bullet struck Courtney in the head; first responders found her unresponsive and she was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. She was later declared brain dead, placed on life support, and her family elected to donate her organs. Courtney died a few days after the shooting.

Authorities identified 19-year-old Katera R. Mayfield as a suspect; police say Courtney was not the intended target and witnesses reported someone fired multiple shots toward the business as people were exiting. Jackson County prosecutors charged Mayfield with assault. Before she could be brought to trial, Mayfield was found deceased; her death was ruled an apparent suicide and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

Courtney’s death was recorded as the 154th homicide in Kansas City in 2023. She was a single mother to a four-year-old daughter and had lost another sister in 2018. If anyone was at the rooftop that night or has information about the shooting, please share what was seen or heard.