Wichita man pulls out gun and shoots another person in chest after fight, police say

A 56-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in a north Wichita shooting that critically injured a 50-year-old man, Wichita police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said.

Kenneth Lydell James of Wichita was arrested at his home in north Wichita, near I-135 and East 21st Street North, on suspicion of aggravated battery.

Police were called at 7:53 p.m. for a walk-in shooting victim at Wesley Woodlawn, 2610 N. Woodlawn.

A Wichita man had been shot in the chest. He had serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He underwent surgery and is in stable condition, Rebolledo said Thursday.

The shooting happened in the 2400 block of North Minnesota, where James lives, according to Rebolledo and the arrest records. It happened on the front lawn of a home; police wouldn’t say what home.

“Officers learned that the ... victim had a verbal altercation with James over an outstanding issue and after a brief physical altercation, James produced a gun and shot him,” Rebolledo said in a news release.

Rebolledo, in an email, said the fight was triggered by a “personal issue” between the two men.

This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 11:34 AM.