Midwest Grandmother, 47, Shot Dead While Protecting Children at Family Barbecue, Grieving Relatives Say

A Missouri grandmother was shot dead over the weekend while protecting children at a family barbecue, according to her mourning family.

Alexis Rayford, 47, was killed at a home in eastern Kansas City on Sunday evening, according to a press release shared with the Daily Mail by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.

Alexis Rayford

Officers arrived to the home at about 10.30pm and discovered Rayford lying in a grassy area of the house with gunshot wounds, police said.

They rendered emergency aid to the grandmother until medical crews arrived and transported her to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Homicide detectives conducted an investigation at the scene, interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence, but no arrests have been made as of Thursday morning, police said.

It remains unclear what events led up to the shooting, and whether it was intentional or an accident.

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A GoFundMe organized on Monday by Rayford’s daughter, Kyeisha Rayford, revealed that the shooting victim was a mother of two daughters and the grandmother of a young boy.

It further revealed that Alexis was killed ‘while protecting children at a family barbecue.’ It appears that Kyeisha was referencing the shooting when she said her mom was protecting the children.

The fundraiser was set up to help the grandmother’s family cover the cost of her funeral expenses.

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