Working the night shift at an east Kansas City motel was supposed to be a temporary stop on the way to something better for Kassandra S. Peters.

But early Sunday, someone shot the 24-year-old clerk in the head as she worked the front counter at Travelers Inn, 6006 E. 31st St. She died at a hospital.

Kansas City police said two people may have been involved, but they didn’t say if it was an attempted robbery or some type of altercation that led to the shooting.

Her mother met with the media Monday afternoon and pleaded for anyone with information about her daughter’s killing to contact police.

She described her daughter as a warm and loving person with a beautiful smile.

They last talked early Saturday as part a daily, early morning ritual. They both worked overnight shifts, so they talked afterward on their way home. They also attended church together on Sundays.

Peters lived at the motel and had worked there about a year, her mother said. She was sometimes concerned for her safety but stuck with it because it was only temporary. She had been seeking a job as a certified nursing assistant and talked about going to nursing school.

Now her mother is relying on her Christian faith to console her. She said she is hopeful that police will catch who did it but knows that if they don’t, the killers will not evade justice.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

Her killing was the second this year at the motel.

On March 5, David Turner, 50, was found severely beaten on the floor of a hallway following an argument. Authorities charged two suspects, Natasha R. Fowler, 26, and Zachary S. Showengerdt, 40, with second-degree murder.

To reach Tony Rizzo, call 816-234-4435 or send email to trizzo@kcstar.com.