First Fridays announces limits for food trucks, vendors in response to deadly shooting

Kansas City Star (MO)

Aug. 30--Organizers of First Fridays in the Crossroads Arts District announced Friday that it will, at least temporarily, no longer permit food trucks, art vendors and performers on streets and sidewalks within the designated area of the monthly street festival.

The changes are in response to the Aug. 2 shooting death of Erin Langhofer, who was struck by a stray bullet around 10 p.m. while she was waiting at a food truck near 18th and Main streets.

"After the tragic and senseless loss of Erin Langhofer during August First Friday, the Crossroads Community Association asked members of the Crossroads Arts District community to determine how best to move forward at this time with First Friday," according to a statement posted on the group's Facebook page.

There will be no street closures because the group lost its general liability insurance and was unable to obtain new coverage in time, organizers said. The monthly event will continue and focus on businesses located within the district, they added.

The designated festival area is roughly bounded by 17th and 19th streets north to south and Cherry to Wyandotte streets east to west. The event also includes stretches of Baltimore Avenue. Food trucks and vendors could still park nearby.

Jeff Owens, vice president of the Crossroads Community Association and chair of First Fridays, said the group is working with insurance companies to get to a point where the monthly event can bring back the food trucks, vendors and street performers. He is hopeful it could happen as early as October First Friday.

"We hope this is just temporary," Owens said, adding that an "explosion" of food trucks has occurred as the event has grown, especially over the past five years.

"They sell a lot of product, and it's a really cool crowd," he said.

Suzie Aron, vice president of the Crossroads Community Association, said the issue goes beyond liability insurance. She said more than 150 Crossroads residents, business tenants and property owners met recently to discuss concerns about the event's congestion of food trucks, cars and people -- and the costly cleanup that follows.

"We want a safe family-friendly event," she said. "It was an event meant to be a celebration of art and artists, an event where lots of people can come together, clean and safe."

She added, "The community is asking to re-evaluate the event of First Friday, and that will take a little time."

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said he understood the move and was not going to second guess or "quibble" over the group's decision.

"I will be out and about on First Friday next weekend and I would hope that other Kansas Citians are," Lucas said. "We are a resilient community.

"We have a lot of positive things going on in the area and we certainly have some negatives too; we're not going to let the negatives drown out the positives."

The monthly festival began about 20 years ago and focused on art galleries located in the Crossroads district. Over the years, food trucks, vendors and street performers were added to the mix, with more people milling about the area.

"We celebrate and honor these early community pioneers, many of whom continue to open their doors each First Friday, as well as an ever-growing number of eclectic venues who invite ALL to enter and learn about the creativity around them," organizers said Friday.

One food truck operator, Prebis Burton, owner of PAB's Mobile Treats, said he was surprised by news of the changes.

"They didn't even notify us first," said Burton, who serves up funnel cakes, cheesesteaks and fried cheesecake. "It's not fair. It, the shooting, didn't have anything to do with the food trucks. First Friday is one of our busiest nights, so we are going to take a hit. We are going to feel that pinch. We will have to make it up somehow."

Burton, who has been parking on 18th Street between McGee and Oak streets for about five years, says he has reached out to organizers.

"I just want to get this resolved so we can get back out serving the people," Burton said.

Rashaun Clark, who operates Urban Cafe Food Truck with her husband, Justin, has been a First Fridays regular for about a year.

Clark said she disagreed with the limitations, adding that activities should close earlier, by 10 p.m.

"I don't think it should be shut down or banned," Clark said.

The Clarks park their truck on 18th Street. Langhofer was shot just west, she said.

"It was traumatic for everyone," Clark said. "Our truck was part of the crime scene."

Langhofer was attending First Friday with her boyfriend when a fight broke out and shots were fired. Langhofer was an innocent bystander, police said.

Off-duty police officers working nearby arrested 18-year-old Deon'te Copkney. Jackson County prosecutors later charged Copkney of Kansas City with second-degree murder in the slaying.

According to court records, Copkney said he brought the loaded gun downtown with him. He was with his friends when a fight broke out between him and a man in another group, he told police.

Copkney said the man "jumped him" near the food trucks, court records showed. When the fight broke up, the groups took off running in opposite directions, prosecutors allege.

While he was running, Copkney allegedly said, he turned around and fired the gun "into the air" and "emptied his clip," according to court records.

Copkney told police he didn't intend to hurt anyone.

Langhofer graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in social work in 2016. She had worked at Rose Brooks, a domestic violence center. Her father is Tom Langhofer, a pastor of recovery ministries at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.

Crossroads organizers said the Resurrection church campus downtown at 1601 Grand Blvd. plans to celebrate the life of Langhofer and her work with Rose Brooks with an event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, the next First Friday.

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