In the late summer of 2014, the life of Marcus Collins, a 29-year-old Black man from Wichita, Kansas, was tragically cut short. The events that led to his untimely death began in the early morning hours of August 7th. Inside a second-floor apartment at the Calvary Towers on North Grove, a dispute erupted over money lost during a gambling game. Collins, along with two other men, felt wronged by their losses and their frustration soon boiled over.
Leaving the apartment, their anger
festered. A short time later, around 4 a.m., they returned. As someone else was exiting the apartment, the three men forced their way inside, intent on reclaiming the money they had lost. They confronted the two men who were hosting the gambling and demanded their money back. The confrontation quickly escalated into violence as shots were fired. In the ensuing gunfight, the hosts of the game returned fire.
During the exchange of gunfire, Marcus Collins was struck in the abdomen and torso. Another man, one of the hosts, was hit in the left eye and abdomen. In total, four people were injured in the shootout. Emergency services were called, and Collins was rushed to Wesley Medical Center. For two weeks, he fought for his life, but his injuries proved to be too severe. On the morning of August 21, 2014, Marcus Collins succumbed to his wounds.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, the Wichita Police Department began their investigation. Detectives were tasked with piecing together the events of that violent morning. They announced that the evidence gathered would be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office for review. At the time, law enforcement officials indicated that it was possible the district attorney would ultimately determine that the fatal shooting of Marcus Collins was an act of self-defense on the part of the hosts who were confronted in their apartment. The initial reports did not name any suspects or mention any immediate arrests in connection with his death.
