A Sedgwick County judge on Tuesday ordered a Wichita teen to spend more than 10 years in prison for killing another teenager in a shooting police have previously described as accidental.
Makyh Townes pleaded guilty on May 24 to an amended count of involuntary manslaughter in the Jan. 13, 2023, shooting death of 16-year-old Seaquori Smith of Wichita. Townes also pleaded guilty in two other cases involving aggravated assaults, court records show. Originally, prosecutors charged Townes with second-degree reckless murder and criminal use of weapons in Smith’s death.
Townes was 15 when he shot Smith, but prosecutors charged him as an adult. The Eagle generally publishes the names of teens who have been criminally charged in adult court. Law enforcement records show he is 17 now.
Wichita police have said Townes accidentally shot Smith as he “was recklessly manipulating a firearm” around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2023. The teens were “hanging out” inside Towne’s house at the time and were the only ones home, police said previously.
Smith was struck once in the upper body. He died after he was taken to a hospital for treatment. Townes called 911, police have said.
The shooting happened in the 2200 block of South Millwood, near Pawnee and Seneca.
Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Dan Dillon said Townes’ sentences across the three cases were: 128 months for involuntary manslaughter and 31 months in each aggravated assault case. The judge, Bruce Brown, ordered the sentences be served concurrently, or at the same time, Dillon said, so he’ll be incarcerated for a little more than 10 1/2 years total.
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Teenager dies, another teen in custody after accidental south Wichita shooting: police
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