Three teens arrested in killing of 14-year-old found dead near downtown, police say

Three teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Malachi Sicka near downtown, Wichita police said.

The Wichita boys, two ages 15 and one 17, were also arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery and criminal use of a weapon.

Police received a call at 10:13 p.m. Monday to the 600 block of South Laura. Sicka was found unresponsive in the 1100 block of E. Orme. He had been shot multiple times.

He died at the scene.

The police blotter indicates that someone else was shot, but police did not report that in the media release. A call about 15 minutes later, that has a case number tied to the killing, says a person “reports (being) shot and taken to local hospital with no life-threatening injuries.” That call lists an address in the 1100 block of North Grove, but it’s unclear if that is where the call was made and if or how that address is related to the shooting.

A large police presence was at Skyline Park, in the block where Sicka was found, on Tuesday morning. Police have not said if Sicka was found in the park.

Police have not said what led to the killing. Recently, police have not provided that information in news releases. Additional questions were not immediately answered.

Wichita has seen 11 homicides this month, making it the city’s deadliest month since at least 2018. There have been at least 28 homicides this year, according to records kept by The Eagle based on homicides reported by police.

Wichita has seen 16 of its 28 homicides, or 57%, since June 10.

There were 25 homicides at this time last year.

Sicka’s family set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral cost. It can be found at rb.gy/nk75u.

This story was originally published July 28, 2023 at 12:30 PM.