‘Let’s figure out solutions’: First responders, community advocates speak on recent violence

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Four months after Kansas City firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman was killed while on duty, a Kansas City first responder is frustrated with ongoing violence.

James Moran is calling for the community to come together. Now serving for over 16 years as a first responder, Moran said things are different.

He said he started the Station 10 Foundation in honor of KCMO paramedic Graham Hoffman.

“In reality, it’s a community issue. It takes community buy-in. First responders, doctors, nurses, they are tools in the toolbox of the community. Just like any tool, just like a vehicle, it has to be maintained. It has to have regular maintenance on it,” he said. " You have to take care of it. When you don’t, you lose that tool; that tool breaks. Unfortunately, the tools that are first responders and health care workers, which are pillars of any city, if you don’t maintain them, that city crumbles."

Moran said one of the terrible things is that the violence hasn’t stopped there.

He’s raising awareness through the non-profit and on his own social media, saying violence like what happened this weekend is taking a toll on a lot more people.

“You can complain about a problem, but you’d better be ready to walk away with solutions,” he said.

Rosilyn Temple with KC Mothers in Charge echoed the same message.

“I’ve been at crime scenes in broad daylight where someone’s loved one or child is lying there or in the car, murdered. People come home and want to get to their house from work,” she said. “They say ‘I don’t care, it’s none of my business’. I hear that all the time. That right there bothers me cuz it is all of our business.”

She said that in November, it’ll be 14 years since she has been waiting for her son’s homicide to be solved.

“We make bad choices all the time. What are we going to do when we keep making these bad choices?”

Moran said, “We’ve identified the problem and we talk about it, but in the same breath, we talk about it and report on it, let’s also discuss and report solutions. Let’s work on solutions and not finger-point because it has yet to work.”

In an email to KCTV5, KCPD said numerous videos are circulating on social media showcasing the events that took place prior to the shooting and as initial shots were fired.

“Detectives have been reviewing, and continue to review, all of that video footage and recovered evidence in order to identify each of the individuals involved. They have made incredible progress identifying several people; however, there are still more that remain unidentified. Detectives are working collaboratively with the prosecutor’s office throughout the course of this investigation for the determination of applicable charges. We continue to encourage anyone with information to call the TIPS hotline or the KCPD homicide unit, so we can continue working towards justice for the victims.”