Teen charged in Thanksgiving fatal shooting at Wichita laundromat

A 15-year-old boy was charged Tuesday for allegedly taking part in the fatal shooting of another 15-year-old at a southeast Wichita laundromat last week.

The Eagle is not naming the teen because he is not charged as an adult in the Thanksgiving Day death of Jimmy Shopteese. He is facing charges in juvenile court of first-degree murder, attempted aggravated robbery — both felonies — and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, said Dan Dillon, a spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Wichita police say the teen, 24-year-old Darien Freeman and another male still sought by authorities met Shopteese and a 13-year-old boy in the parking lot of the Lost Sock II Laundromat, 1902 E. Pawnee, at around 1:45 a.m. Nov. 24 for a what appears to be a drug deal. At some point during the transaction, which police say involved marijuana, Freeman pulled a handgun and shot Shopteese once in the back.

He ran across the street to a Burger King for help and died later at a Wichita hospital.

The 15-year-old is the first formally charged in the case. District Judge Patrick Walters on Tuesday ordered that he remain in custody for now, Dillon said.

The teen is next due in court Jan. 5.

The case against Freeman remains under investigation, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said by e-mail. Freeman remained in Sedgwick County Jail on Tuesday on a state arrest and detain warrant, according to online booking records.

Anyone with information about the case or the third suspect sought is asked to contact the police department at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

This story was originally published November 29, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Teen charged in Thanksgiving fatal shooting at Wichita laundromat."