Emoni Shears was a 14-year-old Black/African American male from Wichita, Kansas, remembered by his family as a family-oriented jokester and an "angel" who volunteered his time to help others. His Sunday school teacher recalled him as a boy with limitless potential. His aunt believed his kindness was taken advantage of on the night he was killed.
On the night of January 26, 2024, Emoni was with a friend, 19-year-old Jhiquez Roberts.
According to court documents, another teen, Elias Cerda, had arranged to meet Emoni in the 5200 block of East Kensington to trade guns, though he was secretly planning to rob him. Emoni was driving an SUV with Roberts in the passenger seat when Cerda got into the back. As Emoni started to drive away, Cerda shot both him and Roberts. After Cerda fled the vehicle, other teens who were with him also fired at the SUV as it drove off. Despite their severe injuries, Emoni and Roberts managed to drive to a nearby hospital, but both were later pronounced deceased.
The investigation into the double homicide led Wichita police to arrest five teenagers. The day after the shooting, they arrested a 14-year-old boy, later identified as Elias Cerda. In the following days, police also took an 18-year-old, Hayden Williams, and three other male teens aged 15, 16, and 17 into custody. Police stated that the individuals involved in the incident knew each other.
Elias Cerda, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, was the only one of the five arrested to be charged with murder. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office chose to try him as an adult. He was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted aggravated robbery. In November, Cerda pleaded guilty to amended charges of voluntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and attempted aggravated robbery.
In February 2026, a judge sentenced Elias Cerda to 260 months, or more than 21 years, in prison. His prison term will be followed by 36 months of post-release supervision. In the days after Emoni’s death, his family and friends gathered for a balloon release, sharing fond memories and calling for an end to the violence that had taken him from them.
