On the evening of February 2, 2024, a gathering of five boys in east Wichita, Kansas, took a tragic turn, resulting in the death of 17-year-old Hispanic male, Julio Iram Ruiz Guedea. A junior at Wichita Southeast High School, Ruiz was with the group in the 100 block of North Zelta Street at approximately 8:50 p.m. when the fatal incident occurred. An idea was discussed among the boys to fire bullets into the ground.
During this activity, Julio Ruiz fired a single shot from a 9mm pistol
into the ground. Another boy, who was 14 years old at the time, also had a pistol and fired three or four times. According to witnesses, as the younger teen fired his weapon, the gun swept towards Ruiz, and he was struck by multiple bullets. Though he attempted to run away, Ruiz collapsed and succumbed to his injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Wichita Police Department swiftly investigated the shooting, determining it was not a random act as the individuals involved were known to each other. Investigators arrested the 14-year-old shooter. Subsequent testing of the firearm used by the suspect showed it was functioning normally, with no mechanical issues that might have caused it to unintentionally recoil.
The 14-year-old suspect, who has not been named in the press because he was charged as a juvenile, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. In October 2024, a Sedgwick County District Judge sentenced him to the maximum penalty available in the juvenile system. He will be confined in a juvenile correctional facility until he is 22 and a half years old, followed by a period of aftercare supervision until he reaches the age of 23. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. In the wake of his death, Julio's family organized a GoFundMe campaign to assist with financial burdens, where he was remembered for his kind heart.
