Two shot in front of Wichita elementary school after domestic dispute
By Ryan NewtonLaura McMillanDerek Lytle,
26 days ago
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Investigators say a shooting in front of a Wichita elementary school Monday morning started as a dispute between a husband and wife.
It happened around 9:15 outside Cessna Elementary School at 45th Street South and Clarence.
“We have a domestic dispute,” Sheriff Jeff Easter, Sedgwick County, said. “A husband and wife were brought here along with their kids by a Lyft driver. The kids went on into school. We have witnesses telling us the male suspect shot the female in the chest.”
He said the woman ran toward the school to get help, and the man chased her. Easter said a deputy arrived and saw the man pointing a gun at the woman’s head.
“The deputy took cover, and then when the suspect stepped a little bit away from our victim, the deputy shot the suspect,” Easter said.
The sheriff said the deputy went to the man to take him into custody, and the man tried to fight him, but the deputy got him into custody.
Easter said both victims are in critical condition.
Other children were entering the school then, and a school district person tried to shield them from seeing what was happening.
“She saw the disturbance taking place in the street, and so she got some of those kids inside that were coming to school,” Easter said.
The Lyft driver left after dropping off the family. Deputies have located and are interviewing the driver.
For a while after the shooting, the school was placed on lockout, meaning no one was allowed in. The lockout has been lifted.
The school district says parents can pick up their children at the north entrance on 45th Street South. However, it says all the children are safe and may remain through the end of the school day. There are counselors at the school to help the children.
KSN News spoke to parents and grandparents who were waiting to reunite with their children.
Starla Maxted said she heard about the shooting at work and immediately headed to the school.
“My anxiety is through the roof because I don’t know what to think, what I’m walking into,” Maxted said. “She did message me and let me know it was OK.”
Her daughter has a smartwatch she can text from. Maxted got it for her to ease her anxiety.
“It is going to be rough to get her to come back to school now to know that this has happened,” she said. “I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to her because this is her fear.”
Maria Duncan said her granddaughter also has extreme anxiety about school shootings.
“It is going to be difficult for my granddaughter,” she said. “She probably won’t want to come back to school.”
“I know it can be scary,” Easter said. “I know for parents, it can be scary, but the fact of the matter is that law enforcement showed up within two minutes of the shooting coming out, and it never got into the school itself.”
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