Cardell I. Crawford, 24, was fatally shot late the night of July 10, 2022, in the Westport entertainment district of Kansas City, Missouri. He was at the Westport Ale House area near Broadway Boulevard when a disturbance inside the venue spilled onto the street around 11 p.m. Multiple people and off-duty police officers working security became involved in an exchange of gunfire. Cardell was struck and killed while trying to lead his friends to safety; five other people were injured in the incident.

Investigators later identified 21-year-old Lavont A. Carter as the primary suspect alleged to have initiated the violence. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Carter raising a weapon and firing toward a group near a vehicle, which prosecutors say set off the chain reaction of gunfire. It was not initially clear whose bullet struck Cardell, but prosecutors applied a second-degree felony murder charge to Carter on the theory that unlawfully using a weapon resulted in Cardell’s death; additional charges include armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and second-degree assault.

Cardell was a father of one and worked on a Ford assembly line. His family, including his sister Camille, described him as a loyal protector and a beautiful soul who was not involved in the initial altercation but was caught in the crossfire while trying to protect his loved ones. Does anyone have information about Cardell that could help clarify what happened that night?