Church prepares for ‘Longest Night’ service with over 150 crosses representing KCMO homicide victims
By Martin Augustine
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INDEPENDENCE, Missouri (KMBC) — A somber reminder is going up Monday at a church in Independence, Missouri, of families suffering in the Kansas City community.
Over 150 crosses are up on the lawn of The Gathering Baptist Church on Noland Road.
Each one is a small memorial for a family touched by violence over the past year.
Every cross will soon represent the victims of homicides in 2022.
On Monday, families of those homicide victims are putting the name of their loved ones on one of these crosses.
It’s a ritual dating back several years for several different churches across Kansas City. It will culminate in a memorial service on Dec. 21 called The Longest Night.
The service aims to remember and memorialize each homicide victim.
It’s been a violent 12 months for the city. The latest available figures from the Kansas City, Missouri, police department have confirmed 157 homicides since the start of the year.
Anyone with information on any of the homicides across the metro is asked to call the CrimeStoppers tips hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
Callers can remain anonymous. If a tip leads to an arrest, callers could be eligible for a reward.
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