Fatal KS Turnpike shooting that stemmed from road rage was self defense: authorities
A shooting Saturday night on the Kansas Turnpike that left one man dead stemmed from a road rage incident, authorities said. After an investigation, it’s thought the shooter fired in self-defense.
Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Chad Crittenden said the shooting was reported before 7 p.m. around mile marker 36.6, near the Haysville exit. KHP troopers who were sent to the scene found two vehicles pulled over in the southbound lanes of the toll road. An occupant of one of the vehicles had at least one gunshot wound, Crittenden said.
The KHP performed “lifesaving measures” on the shooting victim until emergency medical services staff arrived and took over, he said.
The victim, identified Sunday as 43-year-old Jerry J. Gehlen of Colwich, was taken to a Wichita hospital and was pronounced dead on Saturday, Crittenden said.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the criminal investigation into the shooting. Lt. Benjamin Blick said Sunday that everyone involved in the shooting as well as witnesses were taken to the Sheriff’s Office’s investigations unit for interviews. They were released afterward.
“At this time, the shooting appears to have been in self-defense,” Blick wrote in a news release. He did not say what exactly happened.
“We’re not releasing any details leading up to the shooting at this time,” he said in response to questions.
The stretch of the Kansas Turnpike where the shooting occurred was closed for several hours while law enforcement conducted an on-site investigation.
This story was originally published August 29, 2021 at 12:12 PM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misreported the victim’s age, based on information provided by law enforcement.
