Ian A. Mwaniki, 29, was shot and killed in the early evening of June 3, 2025, on the 700 block of SW Western Avenue in Topeka. Officers responded after gunfire was reported just before 8:00 p.m.; Mwaniki suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. His death was recorded as the city’s eighth homicide of 2025.

Nine days later, on June 12, 2025, 19-year-old Pearson Carter III was arrested and booked on multiple requested charges including intentional second-degree murder, aggravated battery, criminal carry of a weapon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm within city limits. The Shawnee County District Attorney’s office subsequently filed a murder charge in connection with Mwaniki’s death. Authorities describe the investigation as active as the case moves through the legal process.

If anyone witnessed the shooting on SW Western Avenue or has information that could help the ongoing investigation, please come forward.