The Longest Night: KC’s homicide problem isn’t just numbers to these families

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    KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV/KSMO) — Monday marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year.

For 173 families in Kansas City, their longest night was when they found out their loved one had been killed in a homicide. For the past decade, Wornall Baptist Church has put crosses on its front lawn for every homicide victim in Kansas City.

This year, there are 173 crosses, each one with the name of a life lost this year. And Monday night, the church will be honoring each one of these victims in a service called, “The Longest Night.”

Due to COVID-19, many funerals for these homicide victims weren’t held. Tonight will be the first these families will be able to truly mourn the loss of their loved ones. They will all gather for a night of prayer and reflection.

The church will read the names of all 173 victims at the service. The service will also be streamed, so anyone who’d like to attend will be able to do so. The inside of the church, however, will only be open to family members.

The service begins at 7 p.m., and anyone wanting to attend virtually may do so by going to the church’s social media platforms.

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