On a Sunday evening in Wichita, Kansas, a birthday party turned into a scene of tragedy, ending the life of 25-year-old Hispanic/Latino male Robertino Gomez. The date was August 15, 2021, and the gathering was taking place in the 2300 block of South Laura, near Pawnee and Hydraulic. Gomez, who worked in maintenance, was a father to a young son, with whom he had recently shared photos on his social media, one showing the child asleep on his shoulder and another of them together in cowboy hats.
The festive atmosphere of the party soured when another attendee, 42-year-old Marcello Ibarra, decided to leave the celebration. Gomez went outside to check on Ibarra, an acquaintance of his. Shortly after he stepped out, witnesses at the party reported hearing the sound of gunshots pierce the evening air. When help arrived, Gomez was found outside and pronounced dead at the scene. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear to investigators, though it was confirmed that the two men knew each other.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Wichita police quickly identified Marcello Ibarra as the suspect. He was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. Ibarra faced multiple charges in connection with the death of Gomez, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and criminal possession of a firearm. At the time of his arrest, he also had an outstanding warrant from Arizona. The investigation into the specific events that led to the fatal encounter outside the birthday party remained ongoing.
