WICHITA, Kan. —
A night of chaos and violence erupted in Wichita Wednesday, leaving a 21-year-old man fatally wounded after a brutal shooting outside a motel just south of Kellogg Avenue.
It was just before 8:30 p.m. when a call for help echoed from the parking lot of the Afton Motel, a grim and often troubled property in the 800 block of South Broadway. Witnesses described a chaotic scene — shouts, scuffling, and then the unmistakable crack of gunfire slicing through the evening air.
When the shots rang out, the young man crumpled to the asphalt, bleeding heavily as panic spread among bystanders. Instead of waiting for paramedics, desperate companions rushed him into a private vehicle, speeding toward a local hospital in a frantic bid to save his life. By the time they arrived, his condition was already critical. Doctors fought to stabilize him, but the damage was too severe. Within hours, the 21-year-old succumbed to his injuries, another life violently cut short on the streets of Wichita.
Wichita Police Lt. Lee Eisenbise briefed reporters at the scene, his voice heavy with the gravity of the situation. Eisenbise confirmed that investigators believe the incident stemmed from a disturbance in the motel’s parking lot, though the exact circumstances remain murky. Officers swarmed the area Wednesday night, scouring the scene for shell casings, witnesses, and security footage that might shed light on what sparked the deadly encounter.
As of Thursday morning, no arrests had been made, and the identity of the victim has not yet been publicly released, pending notification of his family.
The Afton Motel — long regarded by locals as a magnet for crime, drugs, and violence — has once again become the backdrop for another act of senseless bloodshed. Neighbors, many of whom are no strangers to the sound of sirens, expressed frustration and fear, calling for stronger action to clean up the area and stem the tide of violence.
“We’re tired of it,” one nearby resident said. “Every few weeks it’s something else. Gunshots, ambulances, police. It never stops.”
The Wichita Police Department is urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Wichita Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111.
As the investigation continues, the community is left grappling with another loss — another young life stolen in a moment of rage, another family shattered, and another night where blood stained the cracked pavement of Broadway.
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