A domestic dispute escalated into a shooting incident at a Wichita, Kansas elementary school on Monday morning, critically injuring a woman. The altercation took place at Cessna Elementary School, prompting an immediate lockdown of the school facilities. The couple had just dropped off their children at the school when the husband reportedly shot his wife in the chest.
The school day at Cessna Elementary commences at 9 a.m., and local law enforcement received a distress call about the shooting at 9:15 a.m. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing the husband wielding a firearm and shooting his wife near their Lyft vehicle, which they had used to transport their family to the school.
Following the shooting, the woman ran towards the school for help, pursued by her husband, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter. Upon the arrival of a deputy, the husband was seen aiming the gun at her head. The deputy took cover and waited for a moment when the husband was a safe distance away from the woman before firing two rounds at him.
Both the husband and wife were transported to the hospital in critical condition. School staff quickly moved all children into classrooms as the school was placed under lockdown. Local police reassured the community that there was no active shooter threat within the school.
Sheriff Easter clarified that the incident was a case of domestic violence that occurred outside the school and not a school shooting. He acknowledged the fear such incidents can instill in parents but emphasized that law enforcement arrived at the scene within two minutes of the shooting, ensuring the safety of the students. The school canceled all preschool classes for the day, and parents were given the option to pick up their children.