29 July 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Sedgwick County jury has found a local man guilty of murder for a 2021 shooting that killed a 16-year-old in 2021.
Tyler Kelly was found guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault on Friday.
The incident happened on July 17, 2021. Court documents show police responded to two different calls around 9:49 p.m. One call was a burglary in progress, and the other caller said they saw a male, later identified as Joseph Florence, 16, injured and lying in a driveway in the same area.
Police arrived and found Florence with a gunshot wound to the torso, and he was transported to a hospital not breathing. He was later pronounced dead.
Court filings say an investigation found Kelly and another person drove to Florence’s house to scare Florence because of a problem over a girl. They went into Florence’s room where an altercation occurred, and Florence was shot.
Kelly was later found at a local hospital with several gunshot wounds.
Kelly’s sentencing date has not yet been set.