Woman Shot and Killed Man, Believing It Was Her Brother’s Killer
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A Missouri woman reportedly shot and killed a man she suspected to be her younger brother's killer.

Tityana Coppage, 21, was charged with the second-degree murder of Kieth Lars, 36, in Kansas City. Coppage believed that Lars was behind the Jan. 10 killing of her brother Jayson Ugwuh, 16.

Ugwuh was also fatally shot in Kansas City. The motive behind Ugwuh's killing was not immediately known, according to a Crime Online report.

It was known that he and two other teens were walking home from a BP gas station when the shooting happened.

Coppage was reported to shot Lars in a parking lot days after her brother's murder. Lar's brother drove him a distance away but he was pronounced dead before emergency crews arrived.

Witnesses said that they saw someone inside an SUV opened fire on two men, hitting Lars.

There were 23 shell casings that were found at the shooting site.

Police found on their investigation that Coppage texted her dead brother to let him know that he has already taken action to his death, according to a KCTV 5 report.

Not the First Time

Coppage and Ugwuh experienced another tragedy in 201, when their younger brother and cousin, Jayden Ugwuh and Montell Ross, were shot and killed while they were sleeping in their home.

Someone had shot into the house, which killed the two boys, who were both eight and nine years old. Up to this day, the case remains unsolved.

Ugwuh was also home at the time and held his brother as he lay dying. Family members of the sibling said that this incident deeply affected Coppage and her brother.

Coppage admitted to having called the victim before the shooting, saying that she only did so in hopes to set their differences before they killed each other.

She also admitted to exchanging gun fires with the victim. Coppage described it as self-defense, saying that he shot her vehicle first before she returned fire.

Investigation is ongoing

A contact identified as Auntie was seen at Coopage's cellphone. She was asking the contact for .45-caliber bullets.

Bullets and forensic examination determined the gun recovered from Coppage was the same one used in the shooting, according to a probable cause affidavit as reported by KMOV 4.

Capt. Dave Jackson said that violent crime is a plague to Kansas City right now, adding that they have got to address this issue.

"I've been here for about 22 years, and this is not the first time tragic violence has happened within a family. We have seen this before. It's tragic. It's terrible," Jackson was quoted on a Fox 4 Kansas report.

Meanwhile, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement regarding Ugwuh's killing on Jan. 12.

Lucas said on a Facebook post that Jayson's death shows them they have to help families that are victims of violence.

Lucas said that they are not doing enough.

Lucas said in Coppage's arrest that more needs to be done to help those dealing with gun violence.