Shooting At Kansas Department Of Revenue Leaves 1 Critically Injured, Suspect Arrested

Wichita police said Tuesday they were investigating a shooting that left a Kansas Department of Revenue employee critically injured at the agency’s Wichita office.

Wichita Police Department spokesman Charley Davidson told reporters that a 35-year-old employee was shot multiple times by a gunman, who was apprehended half an hour later.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback released a statement Tuesday and identified the injured man as tax agent Courtney Holloway.

"This is a state employee who was doing his job and enforcing the law. I ask everyone to join Mary and I in praying for Courtney and his family," Brownback said. "I’m thankful for Courtney’s work and thankful for the police officers who apprehended the suspect."

Neighbors identified the suspect as Ricky Todd Wirths, 51, who was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail a little after 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.

Brownback also said in his statement that the tax office at Twin Lakes, where the shooting took place, will remain closed for the rest of the week.

"This is a shocking event for our KDOR family, and we ask for everyone’s prayers and understanding as we support our employees and get them the help they need to process this event," said Revenue Secretary Sam Williams.

Holloway has been currently listed in stable condition as he was taken to the Wichita hospital for treatment soon after he was shot. No one else was injured in the incident, police confirmed, according to the New York Times.

According to reports, police received a call around 2:40 p.m. EDT regarding a shooting at the department's office in the Twin Lakes Shopping Center located at 21st Street and Amidon.

Davidson said that the first responders found Holloway already shot multiple times when they arrived.

"Officers were quickly able to identify and locate a male suspect in the area of 35th and Arkansas, and he was taken into custody without incident," Davidson said. "We do not believe this to be a random event."

Davidson also said that the Department of Revenue and Sedgwick County civil service officials were at the suspect's home Tuesday morning, apparently in connection to a Department of Revenue investigation over non-payment of taxes by the suspect.

"The individual involved in that investigation came over to the Department of Revenue office, had contact with our victim and multiple shots were fired," Davidson said.

CBS affiliate KWCH 12 News reported that a state tax warrant from the Sedgwick County Courthouse had asked the sheriff to seize the house of the man identified as the suspect and return the money to the state by selling it. Documents claimed that the man did not pay his taxes between June 2012 and July 2015, amounting to almost $200, 000.

Witnesses told ABC affiliate KAKE News that there were approximately 30 people in the department office at the time of the incident.

Darryl Garcia, a witness, said he could do nothing other than wait for the police to arrive. "There was this lady that came in and said there was an active shooter, next door, right next door and then everybody got down," Garcia said.

Oscar Rodriguez, 42, another witness, said his mother was inside the building, standing in line to get an identification card, when the suspect with a gun attempted to get inside the building and someone locked the doors to try to keep him out. He said his mother was whispering over the phone when she first called him as she was not sure what was happening, Kansas.com reported.