‘He was so loving’: Family remembers man killed by WPD patrol car
20 February 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A 3-month-old baby boy has died, and two women have been critically injured as the result of a shooting in southeast Wichita Monday night.
According to Wichita Police Department Officer Kris Gupilan, officers were dispatched at 7:19 p.m. for a shooting call in the 2500 block of S. Oliver Ave.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found three shooting victims: two 24-year-old women and a 3-month-old boy. They were taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The baby boy later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
“We do know some cowardly individual walked up to a house with no idea who was inside and really didn’t care who was inside and fired several rounds into that home, and now we have this terrible tragedy,” said Chief Joe Sullivan. “Once again, somebody wanted a permanent solution to what I’m sure is a temporary problem. I guarantee you this will all be over something stupid.”
Sullivan says someone will be apprehended.
“I can tell you that the WPD, we’re going to work through tonight, we have strong direction, we have the resources, I’ll make sure they have the resources,” said Sullivan. “But if you’re listening to this, the only option you have is to turn yourself in. Call 911 and turn yourself in. It’s the only possible thing you could do to redeem yourself from doing something so horrifically horrible and, most importantly, cowardly.”
Sullivan says he does not think the shooting is random.
“Oh, I don’t think it’s random. It’s very targeted. But when you just open up on a home from the outside, you couldn’t possibly know unless you can see through walls. He just shot through everything, and here’s the result,” said Sullivan. “Not gonna say he didn’t have any knowledge. We’re not gonna say he does-didn’t care who was inside—fired blindly and randomly. But obviously knew the structure was occupied but didn’t worry about who it was occupied with. Certainly didn’t care there was three children in there.”
A neighbor says she was on the phone with her brother when the gunshots were fired.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, I just heard a bunch of gunshots.’ I said, ‘Norman, it sounds about 10, maybe 15 gunshots. Pop pop pop pop pop,'” said Joanie, who lives in the apartment complex where the shooting happened.
She said the apartment complex doesn’t have too many problems and that it has been pretty quiet.
“This was like most I think I’ve ever heard in my life,” said Joanie.
An investigation is ongoing, including into what led up to the shooting. No arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the WPD at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.