Woman shot by homeowner in suspected burglary remains in hospital

A 50-year-old woman remains in the hospital with critical but non-life-threatening injuries after being shot Tuesday by a homeowner who found the woman and at least two men inside his home on the 400 block of South Garst.

Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred said the woman was shot in the lower abdomen when the man fired a single round from a handgun. Allred said the 43-year-old homeowner went to check on the home at around 4 p.m. because of recent burglaries. A few burglaries have been reported at the unoccupied home in the past couple of months.

“We are working to see if there was any connections to the individuals inside the home, this time, in relation to the other burglaries,” Allred said. “It’s up for sale. It’s not in great condition, so we believe people have been going in there to squat at times.”

The homeowner went in the back door and saw the people inside the home. He fired one shot as they tried to leave out the front door, Allred said. Officers are still trying to determine if the woman was shot inside or outside of the home.

The woman drove off in 2012 Ford Focus and the others ran on foot. Allred said they have conflicting stories about whether there were two or three men with the woman at the home.

They haven’t been able to communicate with the woman because of her condition, Allred said. The homeowner is cooperating.

Allred said the woman picked up two of the men before her white car was spotted at the Lost Sock Laundromat at Seneca and McCormick, which is about 4 1/2 miles away from the house. The men had left the vehicle by that point.

The woman was found in her car and transported to an area hospital.

Allred said he doesn’t know what items have been stolen from the home in the past. He didn’t know if anything was taken from Tuesday’s incident.

This story was originally published October 30, 2019 at 11:08 AM.