Wichita man dies in accident after argument with relative with shots fired

Police have identified the 35-year-old Wichita man who they think fired at least one shot in a domestic violence incident before having a fatal accident less than a mile away Monday evening in east Wichita.

It started with an argument with a relative where shots were fired, police said.

Joshua Laron Brooks died after colliding with a tree in the 700 block of South Woodlawn Boulevard. An off-duty firefighter saw the accident and tried life-saving efforts before EMS arrived.

A call over Sedgwick County Emergency Communications 911 scanner traffic said the driver was unresponsive and a handgun was inside the vehicle.

Police were originally called at 6:39 p.m. to to a “suspicious character with weapon, shots fired” in the 6200 block of E. Harry, according to police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo and scanner traffic.

Rebolledo said the call was domestic-violence related.

911 callers said there was a “man shooting his gun in a gray four-door” and that they thought he lived in an apartment in that area. Rebolledo said the relative lives in that area.

“Unknown why he was in the area,” Rebolledo said.

One or two shots are thought to have been fired outside, Rebolledo said, adding that it’s still early in the investigation and that could change.

Brooks then left in a 2019 gray Dodge Journey, Rebolledo said. He did not own the vehicle, Rebolledo said.

Brooks was pronounced deceased at 7:27 p.m. The cause of death is pending an autopsy.

Police said this is the 21st fatal accident and 21st vehicle fatality of the year.

Brooks has two convictions, one in the 2000s and another in 2015, both in Sedgwick County, for criminal possession of a firearm on school property and domestic battery, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.