Man arrested after fight involving gunfire

A Newton man was arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder and other charges Friday evening after a disturbance in the 600 block of Southeast Fourth Street.

Newton Police responded to a report of shots fired just before 8:30 p.m. Friday. During the investigation, officers determined that a man and a woman were arguing when a second man intervened, and a physical fight ensued between the two men. A third man retrieved a handgun from a house and threatened to kill two of the people involved. The man then fired two shots toward the woman, both of which missed her and the others.

The man with the gun then confronted one of the men who were fighting and pointed the gun at him. This man punched the man with gun, causing another shot to be fired, which also missed everyone. 

The man with the gun, 21-year-old Tyler Christiansen, was arrested at the scene on preliminary charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, disorderly conduct and drug offenses. When the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to the Harvey County Attorney’s Office to be reviewed for formal charges. 

A search warrant was served on the house, and evidence was taken. The Wichita Police Department assisted with the use of a police service dog specially trained in locating gun violence evidence.