Reality Of Violence In KCMO Hits Home
January 2012
The reality of violence in Kansas City hit home late Saturday night, Nov. 19, to Wornall Road Baptist Church. That was when an honor student at Southwest High School became the city’s 100th murder victim in 2011.
Wornall Road is located 2 blocks north of the high school. The church spent the fall serving the school’s football team. Wornall Road was beginning to serve the basketball teams when Rickey King, a popular honor student, was murdered. Although King was not involved in football or basketball, his death was still a blow as many of the athletes were friends with him.
King’s mother, Cheryl Lumpkin, told the Kansas City Star, “My son has never, ever been in any trouble,” she said. “Everybody loved Rickey. Everybody is just flabbergasted.
“Lumpkin said King played baseball, soccer, drums and was involved with ROTC at school. He tutored seventh- and eighth-graders and worked at McDonald’s,” The Star article said.
“He had been talking over the past year with the school resource officer about becoming a police officer. King wanted to join the Navy after high school and return to Kansas City to serve as a police officer, she said.”
King’s death prompted Wornall Road Baptist Church to plan “The Longest Night” prayer vigil on Monday night, Dec. 20. The church planned to pray for and show compassion to the families and friends of murder victims as well as pray for the peace of the city.
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