Quick intervention by a school employee prevents tragic incident

The quick action of a $259 Wichita school staff member prevented an armed man from entering a school building Monday. The man had shot a woman and was chasing her as the staff member closed the school door.

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. when authorities received reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School. A Sedgwick County officer arrived on the scene and confronted the armed man, who made threats and pointed the gun at the officer.

The suspect then lay on top of a woman and the deputy fired warning shots to force him to let go. After a physical struggle, the suspect was disarmed by the deputy and two Wichita police officers.

The investigation revealed that the man and woman were domestic partners with children. The shooting occurred during an argument in their vehicle, after which the woman fled toward the school. The intervention of the school employee prevented the suspect from entering the building.

Both the suspect and the woman were taken to a hospital and are expected to survive. The suspect is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault on a police officer. The investigation is ongoing and the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office for formal charging.

The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) is leading the investigation into this incident.