Teenager dies, another teen in custody after accidental south Wichita shooting: police

A teen was dead and another teenager was in custody after an accidental shooting Friday night in south Wichita, police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said Saturday.

Police were called to the shooting at 8:31 p.m. in the 2200 block of South Millwood, which is close to Seneca and Pawnee. Police said they found Seaquori Smith of Wichita inside a home with a gunshot wound to his upper body. The 16-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he died.

A 15-year-old boy who called 911 to report the shooting has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm by a juvenile.

“The investigation revealed Smith was hanging out inside the residence with the 15-year-old male suspect,” Rebolledo said in a news release. “The 15-year-old suspect was recklessly manipulating a firearm when a single shot was fired, striking Smith in the upper body.”

Rebolledo, in a phone interview, said the suspect lived at the home and the two teens were the only ones there at the time of the shooting. Police were still trying to obtain a warrant to search the house and retrieve the gun, he said around 11:15 a.m. Saturday.

Smith’s death is the city’s third homicide of 2023. There were also three homicides by this time last year, in which Wichita had a total of 35 homicides.

This story was originally published January 14, 2023 at 11:19 AM.