Man who fired gun near DCF building appeared intoxicated, sheriff says

A man who was shot by a Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputy on Tuesday is expected to survive, Sheriff Jeff Easter said.

The man shot at an occupied building and traffic before he was shot, Easter said.

Richard J. Gore, 60, of Wichita appeared to be intoxicated and was “waving around and firing” a handgun in a field near the Department for Children and Families building near Pawnee and Oliver when a witness called police at 2:57 p.m. Tuesday, Easter said.

Wichita police responded to the call and arrived on the scene at 3:06 p.m. When a Wichita police lieutenant told the man to drop the gun, he did not respond, Easter said.

He then started firing shots toward traffic on George Washington Boulevard. He fired four times, and then swung the gun toward the DCF building, where he shot two more times, Easter said.

After shooting at the DCF building, Gore started to point the gun at law enforcement officers, Easter said.

At 3:23 p.m., a sheriff’s deputy who was watching through the scope of his rifle saw the man point the gun at officers and fired his rifle, hitting the man in the upper shoulder area, Easter said. Gore is expected to survive and could be released from Wesley Medical Center on Wednesday afternoon.

After Gore gets out of the hospital, he will be booked into Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of five counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a weapon.

Evidence collected on the scene suggests the man fired at least 18 rounds and was prepared to fire more, Easter said.

The man’s motive for the shooting is unclear, Easter said. It is not known if the DCF building was an intended target.

Easter said Gore is known to frequent the area where the shooting happened and has been living in a “storage area.”

Gore has a history of drunken run-ins with law enforcement, including at least three DUIs, Easter said.

The deputy who shot Gore has been placed on administrative leave for two to three days. He will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and then will go back to work, Easter said.

“I have no question on this particular use of force, so if he’s ready to be returned to duty, he will return to duty,” Easter said.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 1:09 PM.