SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man found guilty in a deadly motel shooting in Wichita is going to prison.
Last week, Judge Christopher Magana sentenced 35-year-old Craig Steel to 247 months in prison for the shooting death of 33-year-old Eric Lopez-Morales.
In April of 2025, police asked the public for help to locate Steele in connection with death of Eric Lopez-Morales, which occurred on April 17, in the 1600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita. A few days later, police reported they had Steele in custody for questioning regarding this case.
On the night of the shooting, police were in the area of Harry and Broadway on an unrelated call when they heard gunshots nearby, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Officers immediately responded to the area and located Lopez-Morale with a gunshot wound. He was in front of the Frontier Motel at 1623 S. Broadway.
Despite the life-saving efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:04 p.m.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Lopez-Morales was involved in a physical altercation with unknown males in the parking lot of the motel before the shooting.