A man who survived a fatal shooting incident at Nelson’s Landing last month has been identified in an affidavit obtained by KMAN. As reported earlier one person died in the shooting, with another person critically injured.
Riley County police responded to a reported shooting in the 2800 block of Nelson’s Landing at 6 p.m. on May 21. German Gonzalez-Garcia, 39, was dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Adrian Ortega, a man who had not been identified until now, had suffered multiple gunshot wounds during the incident and was transported to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan before being taken to Topeka’s Stormont Vail for further treatment.
At Via Christi, Ortega told a Riley County police detective he had done “tile work” at a residence on Nelson’s Landing. Ortega said he walked outside as he heard gunshots, and had been shot as he attempted to flee the scene.
A witness to the shooting told authorities he saw two Hispanic men completing tile work that day. The witness identified one man as being Adrian Ortega, and the other had been introduced as Jamie. Jamie’s physical description in the affidavit matches the appearance of Steven Harris, a 5’6” Hispanic male with tattoos on his face and neck. Police identified Harris as a “person of interest” the following morning in connection to the shooting.
According to the affidavit, Harris brandished a hatchet at one point during an argument that evening. The witness believes disputes throughout the day stemmed from an argument about payment from Gonzalez for work being done by Harris and Ortega.
Multiple witnesses noticed Harris left the crime scene in a white Ford F-150 pick-up, and a Riley County police officer noted the vehicle travelling south on Tuttle Creek Boulevard on his way to Nelson’s Landing. Using witness accounts and body camera footage from the officer on Tuttle Creek Boulevard, police had identified Harris’ truck early on Monday, May 22.
A search warrant was executed at Harris’ residence on Frey Drive on May 22. A warrant was issued for his arrest on May 23 for Tuesday for one count of murder and another count of attempted murder. Wichita Police arrested Harris at a motel on May 25 alongside Cora Brown, who at one point was considered a missing person related to the case.
Harris and Brown are in the Riley County Jail awaiting trial.
