7-year-old Wichita boy fatally shot at apartment had also been shot when he was 3

The 7-year-old boy fatally shot March 16 in southeast Wichita had previously been taken to the hospital after being shot in 2021 and for a skull fracture in 2017, according to documents released by the Kansas Department of Children and Families.

Under state law, DCF is able to release summaries and findings of reports of abuse or neglect when a child dies in a homicide. Those documents outline the three reports made to DCF about Davion Gunter Jr.

In all three cases, DCF found the claims of abuse and lack of supervision unsubstantiated.

Davion was inside a Planeview neighborhood apartment in the 3700 block of East Ross Parkway with several other children who had been left alone while his mother, grandmother and a 25-year-old Wichita woman who lives at the apartment were drinking in the parking lot. The children had been playing with a toy gun. At some point, a 4-year-old reportedly pulled a gun out of a purse and shot the boy, according to court documents. Officers were called at 12:26 a.m.

The woman who lives in the apartment, and whose purse children say the gun came from, has been charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated endangering of a child, court records show.

Here is what DCF documents, police reports and court records say about previous incidents involving Gunter:

Dec. 28, 2017: Davion, then 9 months old, was taken to the hospital with a skull fracture. “Injuries consistent with a child falling off a bed,” a DCF summary says. A report of physical abuse was unsubstantiated.

“Family Preservation services were offered,” the DCF document says. “Family declined. Family was already participating in Healthy Babies program.”

Jan. 11, 2021: Davion, then 3, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. The lack of supervision report against Davion’s mother was unsubstantiated, the DCF summary says.

Police said a 15-year-old boy was charged with aggravated battery in the case. A 17-year-old girl was also charged with interference in the case. Both were convicted, court records show. The boy, now 19, remains in prison after being sentenced on Dec. 9, 2021, in the aggravated battery and two other 2020 juvenile cases involving robbery and aggravated escape, according to Kansas Department of Correction records.

“Mother accepted Family Preservation services with DCCCA and a safety plan was completed,” the DCF document says.

Sept. 21, 2021: A report of abuse was made after Davion had cuts on the inside of his lower lip. The physical abuse allegation “against mother unsubstantiated,” the DCF document says.

Davion’s mother could not be reached for comment.

Police said they have no records related to this incident.

A GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral costs for Davion. It can be found at shorturl.at/EFqMn.

The Eagle requested the DCF documents on Thursday, March 27 after those records had been released to other media. DCF took three days, until Monday, March 31, to release the records to The Eagle.