Man killed in weekend bar shooting was on parole after serving sentence for 2007 murder
A 29-year-old Wichita man fatally shot during a brawl outside of a south side bar was on parole after serving more than a decade in prison for a 2007 killing.
Kansas Department of Corrections records show Damario G. Cooks was paroled to Sedgwick County in February after serving a sentence for the Jan. 3, 2007, shooting death of Donyel Bagsby. Cooks was one of four teens who went to Bagsby’s home with guns that day to rob him, according to court records and news reports.
Cooks was 16 at the time, but prosecutors tried him as an adult. He pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder and attempted aggravated robbery in 2008.
Cooks died Sunday morning after he was shot outside of Magoos Bar and Grill, in the 2300 block of South Oliver, sometime before 12:30 a.m.
Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred said Cooks — whose first name was spelled Demario by police — was inside of the bar for a birthday celebration when a fight broke out “between several other males.” The brawl spilled out into the parking lot, where “multiple shots were fired by multiple individuals,” Allred said.
Cooks was with one of two groups at the bar for the birthday party. Allred said the groups were leaving when the gunfire occurred.
Cooks was hit several times and injured. But he was gone by the time police responded to the scene, near Pawnee and Oliver.
“Cooks arrived by private vehicle at an area hospital with critical injuries,” Allred said. He died from his injuries there.
“This was not a random incident,” Allred said, adding that some of the people at the bar were documented gang members.
Police are still trying to determine how many of the bar-goers are in gangs and to what extent, if any, gang membership played a role in the fight and shooting, he said. He said he didn’t have information Monday morning about whether Cooks was affiliated with any.
“Through continued investigation, investigators were able to determine individuals involved in the disturbance,” Allred said Monday.
Police found one man involved at a home in the 1100 block of North Pershing. He had a gunshot wound to his arm and was taken to a Wichita hospital for treatment. It’s unclear whether he is a suspect in Cooks’ death.
Allred said investigators have talked to several people involved in the fight and are working to find others. Anyone with information about the shooting or who was involved is asked to contact the police department’s homicide section at 316-268-4407; the See Something, Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282; or Wichita-Sedgwick County Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
Crime Stoppers tips, which are given anonymously, can also be submitted online at www.wichitasedgwickcountycrimestoppers.com and through the P3 mobile application.
Cooks’ killing is the city’s 22nd criminal homicide of the year, police said. There have been 27 homicides overall so far in 2019. Criminal homicides don’t include police-involved, self-defense or justified killings.
This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 12:20 PM.
