After losing another friend to gun violence in Kansas City years ago, Twon Bell decided he needed to get out.
He told himself he didn’t want to attend another funeral, so in 2015, Bell left the city he grew up in and moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
Then early Sunday, he heard the news through social media that his cousin, 33-year-old Clarence “CJ” Henderson, was one of five people shot at the Klymax Lounge nightclub early Sunday morning. Later, his family learned that Henderson died.
Henderson, a rapper known by the name Nutty Still Gassin’, had performed at the club that night, before being killed in the shooting which left three dead and two others injured.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Bell said. “At the same time it’s like, Kansas City does this so much. You expect it to happen, you just don’t expect it to happen to your family.”
Police also identified 41-year-old Jason McConnell, whose family said he was a security guard at the club, and 24-year-old Antoinette Brenson as the other two people killed in the shooting.
Two others injured in the shooting were taken to the hospital. Police said Monday that both were in critical condition but considered stable.
By some definitions, the incident could be considered a mass shooting.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, an incident in which at least four people are injured or killed besides the shooter can be considered a mass shooting. Other organizations, like Everytown for Gun Safety, say that if at least four people other than the shooter are fatally shot, the incident is a mass shooting.
Aspiring rap star
Bell, who’s 34, grew up alongside his cousin. Their mothers had them both as teenagers, and for a while they all lived together in their grandmother’s house. At the Boys and Girls Clubs on both sides of the state line, they played football and basketball after school.
When Henderson was 15, his love for music blossomed when the boys took band and choir together in school and learned to play the drums, Bell said. Henderson first rapped at home. Rhyming words and making verses sound good came easy to him, Bell said.
As he got older, he took his craft more seriously. The stage name Nutty described Henderson’s style. He was “crazy” on the microphone and wasn’t afraid to say something bold, Bell said.
Many of Henderson’s songs focused on his daily life and his children and mother. Bell’s favorite was a 2014 single called “Letters to My Mama,” a tribute to Henderson’s mother who died in a 2008 fire.
As his day job, Henderson had worked for the past two years repairing airplanes. But his dream was to build his fan base and eventually get signed with a large record label.
Almost every day, the cousins would talk on the phone about their family and Henderson’s music career. Recently, he and Bell traveled to Dallas, where Henderson performed, recorded a podcast and did other promotional work.
To promote his music, Henderson has also performed at clubs in Wichita and Kansas City, like Klymax, Bell said. Henderson had performed at Klymax once before and also swung by a few times to watch other artists, but had never mentioned any safety issues there. Still, he moved to Wichita almost a year ago to escape the violence in Kansas City.
“When you’re living in the midst of violence, you can experience violence without even being involved in violence,” Bell said. “Innocent kids get shot everyday for being in a bedroom asleep. If they live in an area that’s full of drama and violence, it’s easy to walk into something that’s not meant for them.”
The family favorite
Henderson was a father of three, but in 2016, his oldest son, a 16-month-old baby boy named Messiah, died from injuries after a man beat him. In less than a decade, their grandmother has had to bury a great grandson, a grandson and a daughter, Bell said.
Henderson’s son and daughter, like the rest of the family, have had a hard time processing the news that they’ve lost another family member. To honor his father, Bell said Henderson’s 9-year-old son got balloons and released them in the park. He told Bell he was holding back tears as he let them go.
Everyone in the family loved Henderson, Bell said. It was widely agreed that he was everyone’s favorite nephew, brother and cousin. He called or talked with his family members often to check on them and was especially protective over all of the women and girls in the family.
“He was a well-loved guy,” Bell said. “I don’t know too many people who can say they didn’t like him.”
Bell said all the relatives will do what they can to be there for each other and make sure Henderson’s kids have everything they need.
At some point soon, he’ll visit Kansas City to check on his family and attend another funeral.
