Joshua Soden, 19, of McPherson, Kansas, was fatally shot in the early hours of Saturday, January 31, 2026, after a disagreement that began at a house party where alcohol had been consumed. Two groups left the party in separate pickup trucks and later encountered each other on a rural road near 4th Avenue and Arapaho Road, about two miles from the party. A physical fight between Soden and an 18-year-old male escalated and Soden was shot; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 18-year-old called 911 immediately after the shooting and went to the Inman Police Department to be questioned. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting the McPherson County Sheriff’s Office; investigators have spoken to multiple witnesses and are considering whether the shooting may have been in self-defense. An autopsy was scheduled for February 2, 2026, and the KBI planned to present findings to the McPherson County Attorney’s Office to decide on potential charges. Authorities say they do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the community.

If anyone attended the party or was on the rural roads near 4th Avenue and Arapaho Road that night, does any detail from that scene or the events leading up to the confrontation help clarify what happened?