ARGOSY CASINO HOTEL & SPA KANSAS CITY $116 ($̶1̶3̶3̶

In the early morning hours of Christmas Day, 2017, my best friend of 14 years suffered a great loss. His brother, Shavar Walker, was shot and killed outside of an apartment building in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Shavar was no saint, he had a record, but he was a father, son, brother, and friend. A small example; when I became a single parent and my children had nowhere to sleep, Shavar helped me get back on my feet, and never asked for a penny back. I barely knew him then, he just knew that his brother and I were very close. Their mother calls me "son," and the "white kid she'll never have." So, I feel I owe it to them to do everything I can manage to bring closure to this case.
There is limited information available. 4 stories have been published, all will be linked. There is a disconnect in the timeline and events laid out in these articles. There is also a disconnect between the events published and what is believed to have happened that night. All articles will be linked below.
None of Shavar's children are young enough to believe in Santa. So, he and his wife decided to visit one of our local casinos the night of Christmas Eve. There is no information public as to which, but we believe it was the Argosy Casino in Riverside, MO. While there, he recieved a call from a person only described, publicly and privately, as a longtime friend. This friend asked for a ride from Leavenworth, KS to another unspecified location. That is public info.
Here I will clarify, that is a trek. However, Shavar spent much if his life in Leavenworth, so although he then lived in Kansas City, MO, this was a regular trip that he made. It is not out of his character to drive all the way there for a friend or even an errand. Even on a holiday. And as I said before, Shavar was helpful whenever he could be. Why call someone that far away for a ride is beyond me, though.
I won't lie, drugs could be a factor, that may have been the intent, but I doubt it. He wasn't a dealer and he knew who to find small amounts of weed from in KC. It is possible, but I just don't see it.
Shavar and his wife arrived at the Creekside Apartments on Villa Road in Leavenworth sometime before 2:50 a.m. Christmas morning. Upon arrival, two men got into the backseat of the vehicle. This is public only because his wife made it public. One man was the friend, the second was a stranger. We now have a picture of this stranger, it will be the very first link.
Now here's where it gets iffy, in terms of public information. There are two versions. First, the version we have and that we believe, is that Shavar declined to allow the second man to stay in the vehicle. From that point, a brief argument broke out between the three men, at which point the shooter pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and fired multiple shots into Shavar, and attempted to fire at his wife, as well. This argument lasted a matter of seconds. His wife then drove him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The second, which is in only one of the media accounts, is that Shavar and the shooter had an "altercation" in the vehicle. We don't believe this to be true. He was in the passenger seat, the men behind him. There's nothing to suggest he ever attempted to leave the vehicle and fight, either. He was shot from behind, not the side. This has also been described to the family by police as a "scuffle," implying some sort of physical contact, but his wife's accounts don't support that.
In any event, the shooter and the friend fled after the shooting. The friend has apparently been interviewed since, as well as the wife, multiple times. She has the misfortune of being the star witness for the State. The shooter remains unidentified. Which is one of the many issues I have with this case. I can't help but feel that Leavenworth PD is dragging tail and that the media doesn't see a marketable victim to profile.
First, the friend ought to be able to at least provide a nickname for this shooter. A description. Something. But, up until Feb. 2, there has been no identifying info released, not even to the family. FYI, the family only has the photo I'm linking BECAUSE I JUST FOUND THE FUCKING THING YESTERDAY!! The police released it to the media before they released it to the family. I find it hard to believe this guy doesn't know the shooter's name. This makes me feel he is complicit in some way.
Second, why is there an alternate story about a scuffle? Who provided that account? There is no sourcing for the article. The wife has never claimed to witness such.
Third, no damn news coverage. Makes me angry. The only outlet in Kansas City to report on the murder of a local resident in a rural suburb is Fox4. All other links will be the Leavenworth Times. The Kansas City Star, KCTV5, KMBC, and KSHB have run a combined total of zero stories on this case. They haven't even published the suspect photo. Feels like nobody cares about this case.
Fourth, there must be physical evidence. The shooter was in the car. He has very long hair. He isn't wearing gloves. There at least has to be a shell casing or projectile somewhere. I know none of this may actually lead you to a suspect, but coupled with a name and description....

Fifth, why has it taken so long for any kind of description to be released? We knew the shooter was a skinny black male with long hair. But the public JUST found out. We could've had this guy plastered on the news for over a month by now. Why did it take so long to find surveillance of this dude? Leavenworth is not big by size or population. Homicides are kinda rare there. 

Sixth, notice that police say they have a suspect in these articles. But, then they release a photo asking for an ID from the public. Did you, or did you not have a suspect in mind? The family has been told that there was a person of interest, but that person was never described to them as a suspect, or ever named. Was that posturing for the media, or do you have leads on the identity?
Our theory? A lot of us think he was set up for a robbery. We talk about it and it keeps coming up. Why call someone you know doesn't live near you for a ride that early in the morning? And then just springs a stranger on the person you know well, without asking beforehand? Why not give up the shooter for killing a longtime friend over a petty dispute? Read the Fox4 article. This statement by his wife is a little trimmed, but we know for a fact this guy bucked that gun without notice or hesitiation, and did not wait long at all into the disagreement to just start firing. This reeks of a guy who got pissed that his mark wasn't easily going with the plan. Why shoot at Shavar and his wife but not the other guy? Shavar's wife didn't even speak during the argument, so firing at her seems to be blind rage. But the other guy doesn't get any heat, at all? Why did he run? Why? And why did the police have to come find him? He is fishy to many of us. It seems that they may have planned to rob Shavar in the vehicle once they got away from the apartments. But, that is all speculation based on the little information the police and media have provided.
This was my first post here, so please excuse any errors or faux pas. I'm very emotionally attached to this case, so I know very well I may be seeing this through a certain tint. Shavar's mom helped raise me, his brother is my brother, and I need this case closed quickly, for them. They've always been good to me, they deserve timely closure. That said, given the scant info, please, please, let me know if you recognize this cat or know anything about the case. You have my solemn word that I will pass all information, even hunches about the case, directly to Shavar's mother and brothers so that they can bring it to the police. I am fully prepared to hunt down any lead I have to, if I gotta knock on this dick's door myself, I'll do it.
http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/news/20180201/police-seek-help-in-identifying-man
http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/news/20171227/police-investigate-homicide
http://fox4kc.com/2017/12/27/metro-family-struggling-to-cope-police-searching-for-suspect-after-father-of-3-killed-on-christmas-morning/
http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/news/20180103/no-arrests-in-homicide-investigation
Gun Violence Archive page: http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/incident/1015994