Man arrested after two hurt in downtown Wichita shooting

Published: Oct. 13, 2019 at 11:39 AM CDT
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Officers arrested a man in connection with a double shooting in downtown Wichita Saturday morning.

Wichita police say the shooting happened around 8 a.m. near Lewis and Broadway. A passerby riding his bicycle called 911 after he saw a man and a woman lying on the ground with gunshot wounds.

Alexus Wagner says before the police arrived, a man yelled at her as she was walking to work. She believes he was one of the shooting victims.

"I crossed the street to get to my job and he ran up to me saying, 'I know it was you, I know it was you,' and then I turned around and said 'no, you have the wrong person,'" said Wagner. "He seemed frightened, he seemed like he was scared, I could see the anger in his eyes as well."

Police say the 50-year-old man suffered non-life threatening injuries in the shooting. The 33-year-old woman remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Officers say the suspect, 45-year-old Dexter Solomon, was booked on two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

During the investigation, police say Solomon called 911 and a local media station telling them about the shooting and saying the victims were working for the cartel.

Police say Solomon was experiencing a mental health crisis and may have been on drugs.

Wagner says she was worried if she walked to work any earlier, she also could have been hurt.

"All I could think about today was that and how that easily could’ve been me. I feel for those people that got hurt," said Wagner.

She says walking down Broadway is her only way to and from work. She says she's fortunate she gets to go home today.

"I have a family, I have a beautiful daughter, I have an amazing husband," said Wagner. "I’m just trying to get my life together as it is and I just couldn’t lose all of that."

Police haven't said if the shooting is random or targeted.