SEDGWICK COUNTY– A 23-year-old man of Wichita is in extremely critical condition after being shot during a disturbance early Tuesday morning at a QuikTrip in southwest Wichita. A 16-year-old juvenile suspect of Wichita has been taken into custody.
Just before 3a.m., police responded to the shooting in the QuikTrip parking lot at Pawnee and Meridian in Wichita, according to a media release.
Investigators learned several people were involved in an argument that turned physical. During the altercation, the suspect pulled out a firearm and shot the victim.
A passerby attempted life-saving measures until Sedgwick County EMS arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital. The victim underwent surgery and remains in extremely critical condition.
The 16-year-old suspect was booked into juvenile detention on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, Criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building and Juvenile in possession of a firearm
Police Chief Joe Sullivan expressed his frustration with the ongoing violence involving juveniles and firearms.
“This has got to stop. It is unacceptable for juveniles to have access to guns,” Sullivan said. “Picking up a firearm to solve a temporary problem is not the answer. Too many lives are being destroyed by these reckless choices.”