Man police seek in deadly Wichita club shooting had been arrested, released that night
A man police are seeking in a deadly shooting at Onyx nightclub in Wichita on Sunday had been arrested and released that night in a separate domestic violence incident.
Police are asking the public for help as they work to find 33-year-old Terrence J. Johnson of Wichita, police spokesperson Lt. Aaron Moses said.
“It is essential to note that Terrence is believed to be armed and should be considered dangerous,” Moses added.
The shooting was reported at about 12:28 a.m. in the 10000 block of E. Kellogg. Officers patrolling the business heard gunshots, police previously said.
They found 23-year-old Jaylon Pete in the Onyx parking lot with several gunshot wounds. He died at a hospital. Two other men, ages 24 and 26, were also struck by gunfire. They were taken to hospitals with serious injuries that were reported as not life-threatening.
Detectives allege Johnson was kicked out of the club after a disturbance and retrieved a handgun intending to go back inside. He was not let back inside by the club’s management, Moses said.
Moses said Johnson was arrested later that night, but not for his alleged involvement in the shooting.
Around 1 a.m., officers were sent to the 1700 block of north Pinecrest for a domestic violence call. Officer arrested Johnson on suspicion of a misdemeanor criminal damage to property, according to Moses.
“That was less than 30 minutes after the shooting that occurred at Club Onyx,” Moses said. “Officers had not information at the time that Mr. Johnson was the suspect in that case.”
By the time he was identified as the shooting suspect around noon on Sunday, he had been released from jail for the domestic violence incident, police said.
“Trying to identify witnesses and going through this video is very time consuming,” WPD Chief Joe Sullivan said. “That’s why this defendant [Johnson] was able to go and participate in a DV incident.”
Asked about the club’s involvement in preventing the shooting, Moses said the business did have safety measures in place that prevented Johnson from getting back inside.
“I think it’s very important to reflect on the fact that there were safety measures in place at Club Onyx,” Moses said. “And that kept this from being much worse than it could have been.”
Sullivan said they strongly think Johnson initially entered the club unarmed and was banging on the club’s side doors trying to get back in after being kicked out.
Sullivan did not say what the relationship was between Johnson, Pete and the two injured men.
Asked if the verbal altercation inside the club and the subsequent shooting outside were two separate incidents, Sullivan said “We don’t believe so, but that’s still a matter of investigation.”
Police responded to other shootings early Sunday as well.
At about 1:38 a.m., officers working the Old Town entertainment district heard gunfire and found a 22-year-old man who had suffered a gunshot wound that was not life threatening, Moses said.
Later on, around 3:41 a.m., officers responded to a possible drive-by shooting in the area of the 1500 block of east Pawnee. Two men, ages 21 and 28, had been shot and were admitted to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, Moses added.
Moses said no 911 calls were made from the address at 1507 E. Pawnee and when officers arrived the business had been locked with no one present. Police executed a search warrant for the business, which is listed as a bar and dance club named BarCode on Google.
“Investigators uncovered evidence indicating that this establishment was operating as an illegal after-hours club,” Moses said.
Witnesses and the men who were shot are not cooperating with the investigation, according to Moses.
Anyone with information on these shootings is encouraged to call detectives at 316-268-4407, Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or The See Something Say Something Hotline at 316-519-2282.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 1:04 PM.