Wichita police chief: ‘Everybody should be outraged’ at shooting during youth sports

Wichita police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect in the killing of a 31-year-old Wichita man on Wednesday night at Stryker Sports Complex.

The shooting, which led to the death of Marquell “Marky” Nolen, caused panic at the complex where youth football and soccer games were underway.

Football coach A.J. Bohannon wrote on Facebook that he was pushing children from his team and other teams behind the bleachers. His son was running across the field with tears in his eyes and said: “daddy where is my brother,” Bohannon wrote.

Bohannon said it was the “scariest moment in my life.” His son was safe.

At around 9:30 p.m., Wichita police responded to an unknown call at the sports complex at 2999 N. Greenwich near K-96. From the parking lot, police heard shots fired.

A short time later, Nolen arrived at Wesley Woodlawn Hospital & ER by private vehicle with gunshot wounds, Sgt. Dan Harty said. Nolen later died.

Harty said Nolen and the suspect were inside the entrance gate and west of the stadium when an argument turned into a shooting. Twelve-year-olds were playing a football game, Harty said.

The “suspect pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots, striking Nolen,” Harty said. The suspect then got in a vehicle in the parking lot and left.

“This was not a random incident and it was not related to any of the games being played or officiated,” Harty said. “It is believed Nolen and the suspect are known to each other and are involved in an ongoing feud.”

The Wichita Police Department is partnering with community organizations, including Wichita Public Schools, to offer counseling and support for children at the sports complex during the shooting, chief Gordon Ramsay said.

The Capital Sports Institute Executive Board, mentioning the shooting and citing weekly quarrels during youth games, canceled the rest of the youth football league.

“Unfortunately it has been ruined by the decision of this individual who chose to use gun violence as a way to resolve conflict,” Ramsay said. “And it is a shame and everybody should be outraged by what has occurred here.”

Wichita council member Brandon Johnson said the city postponed youth football until the spring because of the pandemic and community leaders came together to make the fall season happen.

“There is so much going on in our community and it’s going to take us all to make an impact,” Johnson said. ”I have seen the stories on social media of how everybody was running; kids were being pushed over fences. That was a scary situation and shouldn’t have happened. It never should’ve happened.”

Harty said there was a large crowd at the complex.

In a Facebook post about the shooting and canceling the season, the Capital Sports Institute Executive Board said that it is “incredibly disappointed, saddened, and discouraged as it pertains to this community.”

The post says the gun was snuck in during the last game of the night.

The league was meant to give “inner-city children the opportunity to play under the lights on turf fields, with large crowds cheering them on to victory.”

“Instead, we were forced as a league to deal with fights, litter, and arguments on a weekly basis, ultimately leading to a permanent (Wichita Police Department) presence and heightened security, clean-up crews, and a permanent admission fee needed to pay for those extra costs,” the post says.

Police said there were four security guards at the sports complex when the shooting occurred.

The post continues: “As a league, we can no longer safely continue with the 2020 season, as it is clearly too dangerous for the children and families of this city. Our pleas and desires to change the culture of youth football in Wichita have consistently fallen on deaf ears. We are sending our hopes and prayers not only to the injured party’s family, but also to all the families involved in this league and most importantly, to the children who have lost the great opportunity this year to simply play football.”

“It is our genuine hope that as a city, as a people, as a culture, we can and will do better.”

Police released photos of a suspect, who was wearing bright yellow. Police said the suspect also dropped his left sneaker as he fled. Video shows a child who was with a family later picking up the shoe. Police are hoping to recover the sneaker and are asking the public for any tips to help identify the suspect.

Anyone with information about the shooting may call police detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

This is the 41st criminal homicide of the year. Wichita had 43 total homicides, including self-defense killings, for all of 2019.

This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 9:42 AM.