KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police have charged a teenager in a deadly shooting of a Washburn University football player last April in Topeka.
Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Friday that Francisco A. Mendez, 18, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated robbery in connection with the April 28 shooting, which left Lee’s Summit native Dwane Simmons dead and also injured New York Giants cornerback Corey Ballentine.
Law enforcement in Topeka connected the shootings with two aggravated robberies, which occurred April 27 and 30.
Mendez is jailed on a $1 million bond.
Simmons and Ballentine, who were teammates with the Ichabods, were walking home from a party and celebrating the fact that Ballentine was drafted a few hours earlier by the Giants when Mendez allegedly opened fire.
