1 dead, 5 wounded in Wichita nightclub shooting
WICHITA, Kan. – Kansas authorities are searching for a 23-year-old man suspected of killing one man and injuring five women outside a nightclub in Wichita’s Old Town entertainment district.
Capt. Jason Stephens with the Wichita Police Department identified the suspected gunman as Keshawn Maurice Dawson of Wichita, noting that he is also wanted on two felony Sedgwick County warrants and is prohibited from possessing a firearm, KAKE reported.
Stephens said during a news conference that Dawson opened fire just before 1 a.m. Tuesday at the Enigma Club & Lounge after he was kicked out by employees following a fight that turned physical, The Wichita Eagle reported.
According to a police department news release, Dawson is accused of returning to the club a short while later and firing “multiple rounds with a (semi-automatic) handgun through windows into the club from the outside, striking the victims.”
Stephens said Dawson fled the scene in a dark-colored vehicle, the Eagle reported.
All six victims were taken to an area hospital for treatment, and the five women, who range in age from 22 to 40, are expected to recover from non-life-threatening injuries, the newspaper reported.
According to police, bartender Preston Spencer, 34, was shot once in the torso and died from his injuries, KAKE reported.
A combination of video surveillance footage and thorough witness interviews helped police identify Dawson as the suspect, the Eagle reported.
Spencer’s wife, Kendra, released the following statement, obtained by KAKE:
“My husband could light up a room just by walking in and saying hello. He took care of his family before himself every single day, making sure that we always felt his deep love for us. Preston was one of the greatest gifts I was blessed to have, and he gave me two beautiful children to share this life with. There is nothing that can bring him back, but he will live on in the legacy that he leaves behind. Our family and friends, and the Wichita community will always remember all the laughs and joy Preston brought into our lives on this side of Heaven. We all gained an angel to watch over us.”
