UPDATE: An 18-year-old Wichita man has been arrested for a shooting incident that happened Friday afternoon outside a church where a funeral was being held.
The teen was booked into jail on eight counts of aggravated assault. Police said he tried to get into the funeral services at the church in the 1100 block of North Oliver, but he was turned away by family members of the deceased. The teen then brought out a handgun and began firing shots at the crowd of people in front of the church. Some people in the crowd started shooting at the teen and the crowd around him. The teen was shot in his right forearm and he was treated and released at a hospital, then he was taken to the police department for questioning. Police said another person had a leg injury from a fall and a third person had a medical emergency.
Police say they have identified the other people who fired shots during the incident, and they are looking for those people.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 268-4407, Crime Stoppers at 267-2111, or the See Something Say Something hotline at 519-2282.
Police Chief Joe Sullivan talked to reporters after the incident and he called the shooting “outrageous.” He said several cars at the church were damaged, and police found that some nearby homes were also hit. The chief said at least three guns were involved and police have recovered two of them. He said there will be a greater police presence at Juneteenth events over the weekend.
[ photo: KWCH ]
