What started as a fight behind Charlie’s Place bar at 1109 Main St. ended with shots exchanged and one person hit Saturday night/early Sunday. The Great Bend Police Department issued a news release on Monday, saying no arrests had been made and that the wounded man’s injuries were not life-threatening, although this is listed as an attempted murder case.
Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Joshua R. Castanada, 34, Detective Heather Smith said Monday afternoon.
This was one of two unrelated shooting incidents in Great Bend over the weekend.
Police were dispatched to a fight in progress at 12:31 a.m. Sunday but when they arrived the incident was reported to have calmed down.
“Two individuals were reported to have been involved in a verbal argument with several members of a local motorcycle group,” according to the GBPD statement. “The Charlie’s Place staff indicated that the two individuals were escorted out of Charlie’s Place by employees, without incident. No charges were filed in this incident.”
However, police were dispatched back to the bar at 12:59 a.m. with a report of shots fired.
According to witness reports, one individual from the previous report of a fight in progress, identified as Castanada, returned to the Main Street entrance of Charlie’s Place in a white four-door pickup and got out of it. There was another confrontation “between Castanada and several members of a local motorcycle group. Witnesses reported seeing Joshua Castanada pull a handgun and begin firing rounds toward the west, into the front entrance area of Charlie’s Place. Witnesses also reported members of the local motorcycle group pulling handguns and firing rounds back toward the east at Castanada and his vehicle.”
Castanada fled the area in the white pickup, driving southbound on Main Street. He may have changed vehicles later, Smith said.
One individual, identified as Tyler Shea Deforest, 30, sustained a minor gunshot wound to the chest. Deforest was treated and released.
“During an extensive search of the area, numerous shell casings and bullet fragments, along with damage to several businesses and vehicles were discovered in the 1100 block of Main Street.”
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office assisted.
As of late Monday afternoon, police said no arrests had been made and the investigation was still ongoing. Anyone with any additional information is urged to contact the Great Bend Police Department, 620-793-4120, or Crime Stoppers, 620-792-1300.
