Second suspect arrested in fatal shooting of 23-year-old Wichita man, police say

A 21-year-old Wichita man is the second person to be arrested in connection with a fatal shooting Tuesday night, Wichita police said Thursday.

The man, who police say is 21 but jail records say is 22, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, like the 18-year-old Wichita man police previously reported arresting.

Manuel Roach, 23, of Wichita, was found unresponsive during a shooting call at 5:44 p.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of South Bleckley, which is close to Lincoln and Oliver.

The second man was taken into custody near Mainsgate and Woodlawn, according to arrest records released Thursday morning. He was also arrested on suspicion of a drug-related charge. Neither suspect has a home address around where the shooting happened.

A police report released Thursday morning says a witness reported seeing four suspects shooting at the victim and then driving off at a “high rate of speed.” The 18-year-old was arrested after showing up at the hospital with a gunshot wound to his lower extremity, police said.

Police said there were three suspects.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving the victim and three unidentified males dressed in all black,” Wichita police spokesperson Brad Wright said in a news release. “Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation. We do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.”

Scanner traffic indicated a 911 caller reported hearing “about 10 to 20 shots” and the victim was shot in the stomach.

This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 12:25 PM.