On the morning of Monday, January 12, 2026, a neighborhood dispute in a modest apartment complex in the Northland area of Kansas City, Missouri, turned deadly. The incident occurred at the Hillcrest Apartments, located in the 5400 block of N.E. 55th Terrace, a residential street just east of the intersection with North Oak Trafficway.
Christopher Cole Wells, a 41-year-old resident known affectionately as “Chris” to friends and family, had gone to speak with a 60-year-old neighbor, identified in court records as Marlon J. Long. The confrontation centered on a disagreement over a side-view mirror that had been broken off Wells’s vehicle. According to subsequent police affidavits and witness accounts, the verbal argument between the two men quickly escalated.
During the altercation, Marlon Long allegedly pushed Christopher Wells, causing him to fall to the ground. As Wells was on the pavement, Long is accused of retrieving a handgun. Witnesses reported that Long then fired a single shot, striking Wells in the back. The gunshot wound was immediately catastrophic. Neighbors called 911, and emergency responders rushed to the apartment complex on N.E. 55th Terrace. Despite their rapid arrival and life-saving efforts, Christopher Wells was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect, Marlon J. Long, was arrested at the scene without incident. He was later formally charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Court documents reveal that Long admitted to detectives that he shot Wells, claiming he acted in self-defense because he believed Wells was about to retrieve a weapon from his own vehicle. However, investigators noted that Wells was found without any weapon on or near his person, and no firearm was located in his vehicle.
The shooting sent shockwaves through the close-knit Hillcrest Apartments community, where Wells was universally described as a kind, helpful “Teddy Bear” of a man. Neighbors and friends recounted countless stories of his generosity, from helping with garage sales to painting houses, always with a bright smile. He was a devoted husband and father of four, a Kansas City Chiefs fan, and an outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. His death, less than three weeks before his 42nd birthday, has left an immense void.
The case is now proceeding through the judicial system. Marlon J. Long is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center without bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later in January 2026, where evidence will be presented to determine if the case will proceed to trial. The tragedy stands as a stark reminder of how quickly a mundane disagreement can erupt into irreversible violence, devastating a family and haunting a community.