Wichita police are investigating the shooting death of 14-year-old Claude Hodges. The incident occurred inside an apartment on the 8400 block of W. Central, east of Tyler Road; investigators believe he was shot and killed by his 43-year-old mother.
Early Sunday evening, police received a call from the father of the victim expressing concerns about his son’s well-being, requesting a welfare check at the address after the teenager had not arrived at a designated exchange point. Multiple attempts to contact the teen were unsuccessful.
Arriving at the apartment where the victim was staying, patrol officers tried to establish contact by knocking and calling multiple times, receiving no response. Officers saw what appeared to be an exit-hole in the apartment’s exterior wall, and discovered an expended bullet on the ground outside the entry door. Concerned about the potential for someone inside to be injured, officers immediately entered the apartment. Inside, they found the 43-year-old suspect holding a handgun; officers quickly withdrew from the apartment and notified negotiators.