SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the shooting death of 14-year-old Claude Hodges of Wichita.
The incident occurred inside an apartment on the 8400 block of W Central Avenue, where it is believed he was shot and killed by his 43-year-old mother, according to a media release from Wichita Police.
Just after 6p.m. Sunday, police received a call from Claude's father expressing concerns about his son's well-being. The father requested a welfare check at the W Central Avenue address after Claude had not arrived at a designated exchange point.
Multiple attempts to contact Claude were unsuccessful. Upon arriving at the apartment where the victim was staying, patrol officers tried to establish contact by knocking and calling multiple times but received no response.
Officers observed what appeared to be an exit hole in the apartment's exterior wall and discovered an expended bullet outside the entry door on the ground.
Concerned about the potential for someone inside to be injured, officers immediately entered the apartment and found the 43-year-old suspect holding a handgun and while near a shotgun.
Recognizing the potential danger of an armed subject, officers quickly withdrew from the apartment and notified negotiators. Police negotiators spent several hours negotiating with and attempting to negotiate with the her.
The objective was to convince her to disarm herself of the handgun she had and surrender peacefully. Despite the prolonged negotiation attempts, the she continued to refuse to put the handgun down, leading SWAT officers to fire two shots that struck her.
She was then transported to a local hospital in critical condition by Sedgwick County EMS. Upon re-entering the apartment, officers discovered Claude Hodges in a bedroom, deceased, with an apparent gunshot wound to his upper body.
Both Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan and Sheriff Jeff Easter have formally requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to take charge of the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
Police did not release the names or additional information on the law enforcement personnel involved in officer-involved shooting.