A warrant has been issued for a Great Bend man as a suspect in the Sunday morning drive-by shooting in southeast Great Bend, Great Bend Police Chief Dean Akings said. Meanwhile, the Great Bend Police Department is continuing its investigation into the incident.
Akings said authorities are looking for Eric Torres, a 26-year-old white male, as the alleged shooter. He is described as being six feet tall, weighing 165 pounds, and having brown hair and blue eyes.
“He may have left the city en route to Hutchinson,” the chief said.
According to a GBPD news release, officers were called to 1200 Ninth St. at 8:20 a.m. Sunday. They found Nicholas Curtice, 28, who reported he was standing in his front yard and a “known person” drove eastbound past the house in a maroon passenger car. “Curtice stated that the known driver then raised a handgun and fired one shot in his direction before leaving the area.”
Curtice was not hit by the bullet. But, it did strike a vehicle parked in the driveway, ricochetted and struck another vehicle and a garage at the residence.
Curtice said there was an unknown passenger in the car along with the alleged shooter. Law enforcement officers are also looking for this individual.
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Ellinwood Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol were issued an “attempt to locate” notice for a maroon Saturn driven by the suspect.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the GBPD at 620-793-4120 or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300.