Man sentenced for shooting mother of children after dropoff at Wichita elementary

A man who shot the mother of his two children just after they dropped them off at a south Wichita elementary school was sentenced Friday to 27.5 years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Vincent L. Solomon Jr., 47, was shot in the leg by a Sedgwick County deputy, ending the Sept. 23, 2024, panic at Cessna Elementary School.

On Dec. 4, a jury found Solomon guilty of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault on an officer and interference with law enforcement.

The shooting stemmed from a domestic violence incident that started after a Lyft driver they knew gave them a free ride to bring their children to school, court documents say.

Police previously said Solomon trailed the wounded woman toward the school’s door before a deputy arrived and shot the armed man in the leg. The woman was shot multiple times, including in the face and twice in the chest.

A staff member locked the door just before Solomon and the woman reached it. Authorities previously said they are husband and wife.

Solomon held the woman at gunpoint, pointing the weapon at her head and using her as a shield when law enforcement arrived, authorities have said. The deputy fired two rounds.

“When the suspect stepped a little bit away from our victim, the deputy shot our suspect,” sheriff Jeff Easter previously said.

This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 7:21 PM.