Aviva Okeson-Haberman Kansas City, Missouri reporter at KCUR killed by stray bullet through apartment window: no arrests.
A 24-year-old Kansas City, Missouri reporter has died after she was struck by a stray bullet that flew through her apartment window, her colleagues said.
Aviva Okeson-Haberman, a journalist at public radio station KCUR, was hit by a bullet that entered the window of her first-floor apartment Friday afternoon in Kansas City, KMBC reported.
Notice of the reporter’s death came after a colleague went to check on Okeson-Haberman after failing to respond to messages on Friday, KCUR reported.
Police said they responded to the scene and brought an individual to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Authorities were unable to confirm the victim’s identity as of Sunday because they were still on life support at the time.
.@KCUR reported Sunday Aviva Okeson-Haberman, 24, died after suffering a gunshot wound in her apartment on Friday.
“She was incredibly humble,” @RyanFamuliner, one of her @mujschool professors said.
Our @41actionnews story with @navasphoto:https://t.co/Uv71srT54h pic.twitter.com/eRG6sTBcD2
— Andres Gutierrez (@AFGutierrez) April 26, 2021
Had reported on government and criminal justice
But Okeson-Haberman’s colleagues broke the news of her death in a tribute that remembered her as ‘brilliant.’
‘Even as an intern, her approach to storytelling and her ability to hold those in power accountable paralleled many a veteran reporter,’ KCUR news director Lisa Rodriguez said in the station’s story.
Okeson-Haberman had been reporting on Missouri government and politics for the station, but was planning a move to Lawrence, Kansas, for a new gig covering criminal justice issues for the Kansas News Service.
Okeson-Haberman graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in 2019.
Looking back at the college career of Aviva Okeson-Haberman, BJ ’19, who died today after suffering a gunshot wound in her Kansas City apartment. The public radio journalist was 24. #MizzouMade @KCUR @KBIA @CoMissourian @KOMUnews @NPR @Mizzou https://t.co/0x10B4lRuL pic.twitter.com/5xU7TzSmMJ
— Mizzou Journalism (@mujschool) April 26, 2021
Hours before the slaying, Okeson-Haberman had been looking at apartments in Lawrence, KCUR reported.
Okeson-Haberman’s death comes as the city comes off its worst-ever year for homicides, with 182 killings reported by police in 2020.
So far this year, there have been at least 71 homicides in the Kansas City area, according to data tracked by KSHB.
Police have launched an investigation into the fatal shooting and asked anyone with information to come forward, the outlets reported. To date authorities have identified no suspects nor made any arrests.
