One person arrested after Wichita Mayor Lily Wu receives threats

One person has been arrested following threats made to Wichita Mayor Lily Wu.

A 50-year-old man was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on one count of suspected criminal threat Monday evening. The Eagle does not name suspects unless they’re formally charged in court.

Police did not offer further details on the nature of the threats, and Wu did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“As a matter of safety, we do not discuss security measures or protective details,” the police statement said. Police said Wu and her staff are working with investigators.

Last year, Wu said she received racist and hateful emails after she did not read at a council meeting a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility.

This is not the first time a Wichita mayor has received threats while in office.

Former Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, who lost reelection to Wu, received death threats during the COVID-19 pandemic over the city’s mask mandate.

One threat named the mayor as a “viable target for elimination” and said Whipple “has a date with the hangman.”

That person was sentenced to two years of probation in 2023.

This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 9:04 PM.