Gunmen fired 20 or more shots during an early-morning altercation in downtown Winfield Sunday that sent one person to the hospital and closed down a popular 24-hour convenience store, according to the Winfield Police Department.
Aaron Brown, 26, was shot in the arm and buttocks at the Jump Start, 1318 Main, according to Asst. Chief Brett Stone. He was treated and released from the local hospital. Several persons of interest have been interviewed but no arrests have been made.
Investigators said they expect to release more information on the case soon, possibly later on Monday, Stone said. Police did confirm they believe there was an exchange of gunfire between at least two people.
He would not name any possible suspects and said the investigation into exactly what happened was continuing.
“We had multiple shots fired by at least two weapons,” Stone said during a briefing with reporters. “It’s something that apparently started with a verbal altercation and then all chaos broke out. It’s a fairly uncommon disturbance for a small town.”
Brown, the gunshot victim, was involved in the initial altercation, said Stone.
The store resumed normal operations by Sunday afternoon.
The weapons involved were believed to be a 9-millimeter handgun and a .40-caliber handgun, the officer said. Some residents have reported hearing the gun fight from six to eight blocks away, investigators said.
At 4:15 a.m., Winfield 911 responded to reports of shots fired at the convenience store. Officers arrived after the altercation had broken up and did not fire shots at the scene, Stone said. They found Brown in the parking lot with non-life-threatening injuries.
Some involved in the incident attempted to flee the scene and were apprehended. A neighbor in a home behind Jump Start reported seeing people in her yard around the time of the incident. Four people believed to be involved in the altercation have been located. One of those people was stopped in Mulvane by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s office and detained for questioning.
The argument started in the Jump Start parking lot and continued there, investigators said.
A white Hummer H2 – bearing a Cowley County vanity plate that read “Big A” – and a dark-colored Dodge Durango with temporary tags were the central focus of the police investigation. The Durango appeared to have sustained bullet damage. The temporary tag was making it a bit more difficult to attain information about the vehicle’s owner, Stone said.
The driver of the Hummer was fueling up, Stone said. It was not clear why the Durango had stopped at the store.
Dozens of evidence markers were visible from the roadway. Yellow police tape kept patrons from entering the store.
