Man arrested after shooting deaths of two in Old Town parking garage; victims identified
Wichita police arrested 19-year-old Zachary Ramirez of Maize in connection with the fatal shootings of a man and woman in the Old Town parking garage on Thursday.
The victims were identified as 21-year-old Bryan Lara-Hernandez and 19-year-old Josephina Lerma-Dominguez, both of Wichita, police spokesperson Kristopher Gupilan said in a news release.
Ramirez was arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony murder and firing into an occupied vehicle, according to Gupilan. Sedgwick County Jail inmate records show Ramirez was booked at 2:45 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of criminal discharge of a firearm.
Around 3:43 a.m., officers responded to a call in the 300 block of North Moore. A street sweeper operator found Lara-Hernandez and Lerma-Dominguez inside a vehicle in the parking garage, the release said.
Both had been shot and, after life-saving measures were used, were pronounced dead at the scene, Gupilan said.
Authorities appeared to be working on the top floor of the parking garage Thursday morning. Wichita firefighters were seen using a fire engine’s ladder to hoist them toward the parking garage.
Detectives and officers used surveillance cameras and the Flock Safety license plate reader surveillance system before arresting Ramirez, the release said.
An Eagle reporter at the scene saw a tow truck being escorted by a police vehicle around 9:15 a.m. hauling away an early 2000s silver four-door Honda Civic.
This story was originally published July 27, 2023 at 5:47 PM.