Young Man Found Dead In Pool of East Wichita Apartment Complex – Wichita Teens Recount Details of That Night

By: Darby VanHoutan

Early on the morning of Friday July 1, the maintenance staff of an East Wichita apartment discovered the body of 17-year old Phillip Harris dead after drowning in Horizons East apartment pool. The police were then called around 8 am on Friday morning.

The victim was reported to have drowned some time during the evening hours of Thursday June 30 and the morning of July 1. When authorities arrived they determined the body had been there for some time.  After identifying and interviewing three South High Students, the Wichita police said that the tragedy occurred after the victim picked up the three students and entered into the apartment complex’s pool after hours. Neither the victim or his peers were found to have been residents at the apartment complex.

South High School students recounts exactly what she knows (from best friend who is one of the three South High students involved in the drowning) about what happened on the evening of June 30. student says the victim picked up three friends around 2 am on Friday morning. “After talking about what they wanted to do for the night they all decided to go to that apartment complex to hot-tub and swim” said student. Two of the three students along with Phillips leapt over the fence surrounding the pool while one remained outside.

The friends remained at the pool for a short time before realizing that Phillips was unresponsive in the deeper end of the swimming pool. “My friend said that he was just splashing around and they thought he was playing and that’s why they left him alone” said the student.  Student also states that one of the suspects there tried to pick Harris up out of the water, then dropped him when discovering that he was lifeless, then instead went immediately for help.
Wichita teen also has insight into the tragic drowning. teen was at his cousin’s house in East Wichita on the morning of July 1 when the three South High students arrived in a panic. teen learned from the three involved that the victim may have been in contact with illegal substances although there are many rumors circulating which makes them all harder to believe. teen also feels that knowledge of Harris not knowing how to swim was present among many people that knew him at that evidence of foul play may surface. “Everyone knows that Phillip couldn’t swim so the entire thing sounded weird when they showed up at my cousin’s house asking for help” said the teen.

An investigation on the drowning is still under way in Wichita. A vigil for the teen was held on Thursday July in Aley Park located in Wichita. Around 9:30am Wichita police reported that shots were fired at the vigil, though fortunately no deaths or injuries have been reported. According to Kake News there has been no descriptions of the suspects and only damage to a vehicle and cable box has been found.

Do you have any insight on this case?  If you do, comment below.