A grandmother in Kansas City, Missouri, was fatally shot on Sunday evening while reportedly protecting children at a family barbecue, according to her relatives. Alexis Rayford, 47, was discovered with gunshot wounds at a home in eastern Kansas City.
Kansas City Missouri Police Department officers responded to the scene around 10:30 p.m. and provided aid until emergency medical crews arrived. Rayford was transported to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting, but as of Thursday morning, no arrests had been made. The circumstances leading up to the shooting, including whether it was intentional or accidental, remain unclear.
According to a GoFundMe organized by her daughter, Kyeisha Rayford, Alexis Rayford was a mother of two daughters and a grandmother to a young boy. The fundraising page stated that Rayford was killed "while protecting children at a family barbecue." Her daughter described Alexis as a "beloved" and "loving mother of two daughters and proud grandmother."
The GoFundMe was established to help the family with funeral expenses.
Rayford's death marks the 79th homicide in Kansas City this year, according to data tracked by The Kansas City Star, which includes fatal police shootings. A subsequent homicide on Monday, the killing of 53-year-old Derrick McDonald, brought the city's total to 80. This figure is lower than in previous years; at this time last year, the city had recorded 102 homicides. The year 2023 was the deadliest on record with 240 homicides in the Kansas City Metro area. The numbers decreased to 190 in 2024 and 183 in 2025. Current data suggests this year's homicide count is on track for a further decrease.
Nationwide, homicide rates in large American cities have shown a downward trend, decreasing by 18 percent from the same period in 2025 and by 51 percent since their peak in 2022, according to a July 23 report by the Council on Criminal Justice.
