Web posted
Monday, June 23, 2008
Shooting reported in Ark City
By JOSHUA AMES
Courier Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net
An unidentified male shooting victim was treated at South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center (SCKRMC) in Arkansas City in the early hours of Saturday.
According to a report from Cowley County Undersheriff Don Read, the male victim arrived at the hospital emergency room at approximately 6:22 a.m. with gunshot wounds to his back and right leg.
But the big question that has officers buzzing is why the victim's story doesn't match the story told by witnesses who were supposedly in the area at the time of the shooting.
Although a shooting in Cowley County is rare, Read said, it never helps when reports on an incident of this nature conflict.
"Capt. Bill Mueller and Sgt. Barclay Wilt are following up on leads and new info. regarding this incident," said Read.
When officers arrived at the hospital and made contact with the victim, he reported to them that he and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument earlier in the morning at her house on Cypress St. in Arkansas City. After the argument, he told officers that he left on foot and started walking towards the Avocado Beach area, west of the Arkansas River, between Madison and Chestnut.
As he was walking through a field in the area, the victim said, someone off in the distance yelled "Hey" at him, and he took off running in response. As the victim was running, he said he heard a gunshot and felt a burning sensation in his back.
He then said he continued to run south, until he reached Madison Ave., where he flagged an unknown person down and got a ride back to his girlfriend's house on Cypress Street.
The girlfriend, whose name has also not been released, drove the victim to the hospital emergency room where he was treated for the wounds and contacted by officers.
After officers received the victim's report, they went to the area of the alleged shooting to look for evidence and witnesses.
When officers arrived in the Avocado Beach area, they located three individuals on the West Chestnut Bridge who reported to them that they had been fishing at the bridge all night and had not heard any gunshots.
Read said that the investigation is ongoing, and so far, the victim hasn't changed his version.
"At this point, the evidence, or lack thereof, is not supporting the victim's version of where and what happened to him," said Read.
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