WICHITA, Kansas -- Tuesday evening Wichita police made an arrest in the case of an 8-year-old who was shot and killed while she slept. The little girl was the victim of a stray bullet in South Wichita.
The 24-year-old suspect is expected to be charged as early at Wednesday. Police say the man is one of four persons of interest being interviewed by police in the incident.
Wichita police say around 3 a.m. the driver of a stolen car apparently got into an argument with four people in the parking lot of the Oaks Apartments. As the vehicle pulled away, one of the men opened fire. He then ran over to the Oaks Mobile Home Park and fired more shots.
Some of the bullets hit mobile homes. At least one woman was hit, but it would take several more minutes for officers to find the little girl dead. Kimberly McDonough wasn't seriously injured but had to have 12 staples put in her head where the bullet grazed her.
"What kind of person would do this, kill a little girl and injure another person," said McDonough.
The mother of the little girl had checked on her children after the shooting, but didn't realize her daughter had been hit until later when police came to her door to tell her that there were bullet holes in her mobile home. It was then that she found her 8-year-old daughter dead of a gunshot wound.
"The cops pounding on her door telling her to check on her kids again and she did and that's when she found out she had been shot in the head. She was curled up with the blanket in her arms," said Christina Greenhaw, neighbor.
The 8-year-old girl was a third grader at Enterprise Elementary and attended White Elementary school last year. Wichita Public School officials sent members of the crisis response teams to both schools to help children and staff cope with the loss.
"She has a brother in first grade. We covered all the first grades," says Karen Wallace.
Wallace is the lead for the mental health responders crisis team with USD 259.
"On the first grade level we have to explain... the little girl has died," says Wallace. "And on a first grade level they don't understand the concept of death. So sometimes we have to say she is not coming back. She will not return to school. It's a tough concept, but kids need to hear that. We will be back wednesday morning to support teachers who are still dealing with this and helping students"
As officers continue to reconstruct the crime scene and the tragectory of the bullets that killed the little girl, neighbors continue to grieve in their own way.
"She loved riding bikes, playing with her brother and she was just a happy little girl, an eight year old little girl. And I'm going to miss her," said Greenhaw.
Investigators say they still looking for a 2011 Black Ford Focus with Kansas Plates 511 EVP believed to be the initial vehicle that was involved in the confrontation before the shooting.
Stay with KSN and KSN.com for continuing coverage throughout the day.
