14-year-old Wichita boy dies after two teens shot in drug transaction, police say

A 14-year-old Wichita boy was killed Friday in a shooting over drugs and a 17-year-old boy has been arrested for murder, Wichita police chief Gordon Ramsay said during a news conference.

Police are still looking for two other suspects.

Police were called after 14-year-old Jesus Fernandez and a 15-year-old boy arrived at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis at around 1 p.m. Friday with gunshot wounds, Ramsay said. Fernandez died and the 15-year-old was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police tied the incident back to a shooting at Schell Park, which is near 25th North and Arkansas.

“The investigation revealed the 17-year-old ... set up an illegal drug transaction at Schell Park and had asked the 15-year-old for a ride,” Ramsay said. “Fernandez was riding along with the 15-year-old at the time.”

While at the park, “two suspects approached the car and began discussing the illegal drug transaction when one pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots at the boys and then took the illegal drugs,” he said.

The two suspects fled on foot and have not been found, police say.

Ramsay would not say where the gun came from.

The 17-year-old was later arrested in the 1600 block of North Burns where he lives, Sgt. Dan Hardy said.

A GoFundMe set up to help Fernandez’s family with a funeral and other expenses says he was a freshman at Wichita Heights High School and “played soccer for Sporting Wichita.” More than $3,260 has been donated to the fundraiser.

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

“I do have significant concerns about the increase that we have been seeing in gun violence and I implore our community members and parents to get more engaged in their kids’ lives .. and do everything you can to help us turn these numbers around,” Ramsay said.

Wichita has had nine homicides so far this year. There were five by this time in 2020, which was a record year for homicides. Six homicides in 2020 involved drugs, he said.

Ramsay said the canceling of sports and slowing of the court systems, both from the pandemic, have added to the uptick in homicides.

“We are solving cases but the problem is much more complex,” he said. “For solutions, the community needs to be involved.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2021 at 1:09 PM.