Wichita double murder suspect could face death penalty if convicted of deadly shooting

A man suspected of a double murder in Wichita could face the death penalty if he is convicted of the deadly shooting.

Kyle Del’Shawn Young, 33, appeared Monday in Sedgwick County District Court on charges of capital murder, aggravated burglary and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. His bond was set at $1 million, and he remains in the custody of the Sedgwick County Jail.

Young will be represented in court by the death penalty defense unit. His next court date is July 21.

“At this time ... we have no comment regarding Mr. Young and his case,” the unit’s chief attorney, Mark Manna, said by email.

The criminal complaint detailing the charges against Young says he “unlawfully, intentionally, and with premeditation” killed George M. Kirksey and Alicia L. Roman on Jan. 2 “as part of the same act or transaction or in two or more acts or transactions connected together.” He’s accused in the document of going to Room 624 at the Hotel at Waterwalk, 711 S. Main, “with the intent to commit a felony” crime of capital murder and also of having a handgun that day, even though a 2019 cocaine distribution conviction barred him from possessing firearms.

It’s unclear why he allegedly shot them.

Young was arrested Thursday by the Wichita Police Department. He had been wanted in connection with the killing for several months.

The Jan. 2 downtown shooting fatally injured Kirksey, 27, and Roman, 22, both of whom had multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. Police investigators determined Young went into the hotel room where Kirksey and Roman were, shot them, then ran away.

Young was found by authorities in another country and arrested there before being transferred to Wichita, police said. He’s been unemployed for seven months, he wrote on an application for a court-appointed lawyer.

This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 9:33 PM.