Police in Wichita, Kansas, have released a 34-year-old woman who drove a truck through a crowd at Stryker Sports Center, killing two people and injuring 10 others. No charges have been filed and no explanation has been given.
The Wichita Police Department released a lengthy statement via
Investigators interviewed more than 30 witnesses, including two children who were in the truck with the driver, and then spoke with the driver himself.
“Following the interview, investigators consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. The 34-year-old driver was released pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the vehicle,” the police department said in a news release. “No charges have been filed at this time and investigators are continuing to work to determine the circumstances that led to the crash.”
The statement also provided new details about the victims, two of whom were pronounced dead at the scene.
The statement read: “Emergency personnel responded and immediately began providing medical attention to the injured. Despite efforts to save lives, two people died at the scene. They were identified as 6-year-old Adrian Cole and 35-year-old Nicholas Shafer, both of McPherson, Kansas. The two victims were not related.”
“The 10 people injured in the incident were transported to Ascension Via Christi and Wesley Medical Center with injuries described as non-critical. An additional 61-year-old woman was transported to a local hospital after experiencing medical complications unrelated to the trauma, bringing the total number of people transported to local hospitals to 11,” the report continued. “The ages and genders of the 10 people injured in the accident are: a 5-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, two 8-year-old boys, a 9-year-old girl, a 28-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, a 59-year-old woman, a 65-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.”
The investigation is ongoing. The Wichita Police Department has asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers. It also encourages anyone who needs mental health support after the incident to contact Sedgwick County COMCARE.
“Our hearts go out to the families of Adrian and Nicholas who have faced an unimaginable loss. What should have been a day for kids to play football and families to spend time together ended in tragedy,” said Police Chief Joe Sullivan. “Our thoughts are also with those injured, their loved ones and everyone who witnessed the incident. We know this tragedy has affected our family officers and we want these individuals to continue to know our family officers.”