Four arrested on suspicion of murder in deadly west Wichita shooting

Four people were arrested and a fifth remains hospitalized in connection to a shoot-out at a west Wichita hotel that left one man dead, police said.

The shooting was reported at 12:45 a.m. Thursday at the Scotsman Inn West on Kellogg near I-235. In a room, police found William Pottorff with multiple gunshot wounds. The 40-year-old Wichita man died at the scene.

Police said the incident was not random and possibly involved drugs.

Braxton Cooley, Akakia Farbes and Koby Fisher, all 23 and from Wichita, were arrested as well as 43-year-old Eugene Donnald of Illinois on suspicion of first-degree murder and aggravated burglary, records show.

A 23-year-old man also remains hospitalized in critical condition, Wichita police Officer Charley Davidson said in a statement.

“... the 23-year-old male, Cooley, Farbes, Donnald, and Fisher forced themselves into the room, and a physical altercation ensued between Pottorff and the 23-year-old,” Davidson said. “During the physical altercation, both men pulled out handguns, and there was an exchange of gunfire, leading to Pottorff’s fatal injuries and the (23)-year-old’s critical injuries.”

Police were notified about the 23-year-old showing up at an area hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken there by Cooley, Farbes, Donnald, Fisher and an additional person that was in a vehicle during the shooting, Davidson said.

Additionally, Fisher was arrested on a state warrant. He was put on parole in January 2019. He has convictions for drugs, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and theft on cases that happened Sedgwick County.

Pottorff had been staying at the hotel with a woman who had rented the room, police Capt. Jason Stephens said. She had been staying there about a month.

The killing is the 29th criminal homicide of the year. Wichita had 22 homicides by this time last year.

This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 9:16 AM.