A Sedgwick County judge denied bail Monday, Sept. 28, for a 16-year-old charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Hunter Johnson, an 18-year-old from Valley Center.

Johnson was killed in the 100 block of South Commercial Avenue in Sedgwick during the early hours of Aug. 31. The suspect, also from Valley Center, was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, KWCH reported.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office said the shooting followed a verbal exchange between Johnson and the suspect while several teenagers were gathered at the home. The Sheriff's Office said the 16-year-old shot Johnson in the chest.

The suspect faces charges beyond first-degree murder. KAKE reported the teen was also booked on criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling, two counts of criminal damage to property, carrying an automatic weapon and carrying a concealed weapon by a person under 21.

The suspect has not been publicly identified, consistent with Kansas juvenile confidentiality rules.

Family speaks out

Johnson's mother, Danica Johnson, told KWCH the house has been quiet since her son's death.

"He carried a lot of energy with him," Danica Johnson said. "He was so much else, outside of the way that he died."

Johnson's older sister, Madison Johnson, said she had called her brother the night he was killed. He had been at work. After his shift, he went to a home with friends, where the shooting occurred.

His father, Daniel Johnson, said he cannot comprehend what happened, calling the act cold-hearted.

In a statement, the Johnson family said they want justice for Hunter, want to know where the gun came from and want to change the law so prosecutors can more easily charge teens who commit violent crimes as adults. They also called for keeping guns out of the hands of unsupervised children.

Kansas juvenile law

Under Kansas law, all juvenile cases must originate in juvenile court. A juvenile court judge has discretion to waive a case to adult court. The minimum age for that transfer is 14.

In April 2026, Kansas lawmakers overrode a veto from Gov. Laura Kelly to pass House Bill 2329. The law requires judges to override the standard detention assessment tool if a juvenile possessed or used a firearm during an offense. It also increased possible sentences for youth who use firearms during crimes, expanding the range from six to 18 months to 12 to 24 months, the Kansas Reflector reported.

The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office has not said whether prosecutors will seek adult certification for the suspect. No next court date has been announced.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office.