KC Man Tied to 3-Year-Old’s Drive-By Murder Sentenced

Sulif I. Wilkins, 26, of Kansas City, Mo., went to federal prison today for 10 years without parole — the maximum sentence for a felon caught with a gun — in a case shadowed by the murder of a 3-year-old boy in a drive-by shooting. Wilkins, already charged in state court for the child’s murder, admitted to possessing a stolen Taurus .40-caliber handgun on June 17, 2015, just weeks after the fatal shooting.

The weapon was recovered when Kansas City police arrived at an apartment complex to detain Wilkins on a pick-up order. Officers spotted him walking toward a blue Chevrolet Cavalier, yank the gun from his waistband, toss it into the car, and bolt. He was quickly apprehended. Ballistics and investigative work later tied the firearm not only to the drive-by but to a pattern of escalating violence, including prior shootings and threats meant to silence victims.

Court documents reveal Wilkins used the same stolen handgun to fire at the mother of his child during a petty dispute over a cellphone. Afterward, he threatened to kill her, her mother, and her siblings if she contacted police. The weapon had been reported stolen — and Wilkins, already a convicted felon, had no legal right to possess it. His criminal record includes felony convictions for robbery, resisting arrest, and assault.

Wilkins’ history of gun violence stretches back years. In November 2006, he robbed and carjacked a man at gunpoint, then led police on a high-speed chase. While on probation, in May 2008, he opened fire on a car at a BP gas station, striking an occupied postal truck. In May 2013, he attacked his girlfriend — pulling her hair, slapping her, and destroying her property. Days later, he launched another shooting, firing multiple rounds at people on a porch.

One day before the 3-year-old was killed in his bed during a drive-by attack tied to Wilkins, the defendant slashed his girlfriend’s car tires with a knife following a heated argument. That same rage, investigators say, fueled the retaliatory gunfire that ended an innocent child’s life. Wilkins remains charged in state court for murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and armed criminal action.

The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther and investigated by the Kansas City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs handed down the 10-year sentence, underscoring the dangers of armed felons who continue to terrorize communities despite repeated brushes with the law.