Broadway apartment shooting victim dies, police release previously detained man
One person has died after a shooting at a downtown Wichita apartment complex that police say has long presented a problem to public safety.
Police identified the man as 33-year-old Lee Banks on Wednesday.
The shooting happened just after 4 p.m. Tuesday at an apartment complex at 916 North Broadway, Wichita police chief information officer Andrew Ford said. Officers went to the third floor of the building where they found Banks, who had been shot in the upper and lower body.
Banks was taken to a hospital and later died, the department said.
A 37-year-old man was detained in connection with the shooting and was later released.
“Preliminary investigation indicates the men got into a physical altercation prior to the shooting,” a press release from the police department said.
It’s not the first time there have been issues at that apartment complex, police Chief Joe Sullivan said.
“There’s been numerous citations issued,” Sullivan said. “ It’s been a problem for this community for quite some time.”
Sullivan said the department has been working with the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department in order to improve conditions at the 916 North Broadway complex or have it vacated.
“We’re going to continue to either have ... those citations rectified or have this building shut down,” Sullivan said.
He said he and other members of WPD leadership are pushing for the passage of a new and revised nuisance ordinance that would give officers more leverage when it comes to holding landlords accountable.
“This incident today would count as two of the three necessary strikes for us to take action,” Sullivan said. “This really exemplifies the need for such ordinances and the need for cooperation, a whole city approach to problems like this.”
Investigators are now presenting the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges. Updates will be shared as they become available.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 7:15 PM.
