An alleged domestic dispute led to a shooting outside a Kansas elementary school just after drop-off on September 23. There were no children involved, and students remained safe. It appears the suspected shooter shot his wife, who reportedly fled to Cessna Elementary School in Wichita for help. Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on a short time later to de-escalate the situation.
Sheriff Jeff Easter addressed the media in a news conference Monday, assuring residents and parents that all children were safe and that there was not a “school shooting” but rather an incident involving two individuals. Investigators are working to determine what led to the shooting. Police did not name the shooter or the victim.
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The parents reportedly took a Lyft to drop off their children.
Easter explained that the parents arrived with their children at school with a Lyft driver around 9:15 a.m. The parents reportedly got into an argument that escalated quickly. The suspect allegedly shot his wife in the chest, and she ran to the school for help. Deputies arrived within minutes to a dramatic scene.
The suspect allegedly pointed a gun at his wife's head.
Easter said during the media conference that the deputy took control of the situation.
“At the point that our deputy arrived, [the victim] had the gun pointing at her head, and the deputy took cover. And then, when the suspect stepped a little bit away from our victim, the deputy shot the suspect,” he explained.
Emergency crews took the woman to the hospital with what Easter called a “code red” injury, and her husband had a “code blue” injury and was taken to a hospital.
The sheriff confirmed there was no danger to school staff or students.
He said he understood that the situation scared parents but said, unfortunately, these types of domestic violence situations can pop up anywhere.
“Law enforcement showed up within two minutes of the shooting coming out and it never got into the school itself,” Easter explained during the media conference. “There was a district person here [and] a few kids that were outside. She saw the disturbance taking place in the street and so she got some of those kids inside that were coming to school.”
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Wichita Public Schools kept in contact with parents during the scary situation.
The administration put the school on “lockout” as the situation unfolded. Officials shared a message on Facebook explaining what was going on at the time.
“At approximately 9:20 a.m. there was an incident in front of Cessna Elementary School involving two adults. Shots were fired, multiple police officers are involved, and the area in front of Cessna Elementary is now restricted access due to an active crime scene,” the post reads. “Immediately when the incident occurred, Cessna Elementary was placed on lockout (no one can enter the building) and students and staff are safe in their classrooms. We know this is a frightening situation. We will update parents with information as soon as we can. Again, kids and staff are inside the building and safe in the school.”
The district gave parents the choice to pick up their students or leave them at school. “Please note that all students are safe at school and may remain here through the end of the day,” the post reads.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter ([domesticshelters.org](https://www.domesticshelters.org/)).*
