In February, the tragic death of a 17-year-old Wichita boy was finally explained as the trial of a 15-year-old for his murder concluded. According to prosecutors, the incident began when a group of teenagers attempted to shoot bullets into the ground.
On February 2nd, Julio Ruiz was shot in the 100 block of N. Zelta in east Wichita. According to the district attorney’s office, Ruiz was among five boys who were discussing the act of shooting bullets into the ground.
Ruiz, armed with a pistol, discharged a single round into the ground. Similarly, a 14-year-old boy also wielded a pistol, firing off three or four shots.
According to a news release from the district attorney’s office, witnesses reported that the suspect fired his gun and the bullets hit Ruiz as they were fired.
Ruiz succumbed to his injuries.
The weapon of the 14-year-old was tested at the Wichita/Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Firearms Range. According to prosecutors, the tests revealed that the gun functioned like a regular handgun and did not exhibit any unusual recoil.
The 15-year-old suspect admitted his guilt for second-degree murder in a plea last month. District Judge Patrick Walters, on Thursday, handed down the highest possible sentence within the Juvenile Court system. The teenager will remain in juvenile corrections until the age of 22 and a half, followed by aftercare until the age of 23. Aftercare provides ongoing supervision to support the reintegration of juvenile offenders into the community.
KSN News does not disclose the identities of juvenile suspects unless they face charges in the adult court system. However, in this particular case, the juvenile in question has not been charged as an adult.
