A man is expected to recover after an argument early Thursday morning escalated into a shooting near Wilshire Boulevard and NW Expressway in northwest Oklahoma City, leaving him wounded in the shoulder while the suspect fled before officers could make an arrest.
Oklahoma City police officers were called to the area of Wilshire and NW Expressway just before 1 a.m., according to KFOR. Officers determined that two people had gotten into an argument that ended with one man being shot in the shoulder. The suspect left the scene before police arrived, and officials say the victim is expected to be okay.
Police have not made any arrests, but the station's report notes that authorities say they already know the identity of the person they're looking for. No additional details, including a name or a motive behind the argument, were available at the time of publication.
A Corridor With A History Of Violence
This isn't the first time an argument near this stretch of northwest Oklahoma City has turned deadly. In July 2024, a 31-year-old man was shot in the ankle during an argument in an apartment complex parking lot near the same intersection of NW Expressway and Wilshire Boulevard, later dying from his injuries, according to the Oklahoma City Free Press. Four people were eventually booked for murder, with first-degree murder among the booking offenses in that case.
The corridor has also seen law enforcement violence before. Back in March 2013, a suspect was killed during an officer-involved shooting following an alleged drug bust at a gas station near NW Expressway and West Wilshire Boulevard, according to 5newsonline.com. Taken together, the two incidents point to a stretch of northwest Oklahoma City that has repeatedly seen disputes turn violent.
What Charges Could Follow
If the suspect is caught, the charges could be severe. Under Title 21, Section 652, shooting with intent to kill and assault and battery with a deadly weapon are felonies carrying a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, according to Oklahoma law firm resources citing the statute.
Whether prosecutors ultimately pursue assault with a dangerous weapon, which carries up to 10 years, or assault and battery with a deadly weapon, which carries up to life imprisonment, largely comes down to whether they can prove intent to kill versus intent to injure, per the Edge Law Firm. And if a conviction on the more serious charge does come, Oklahoma's mandatory minimum sentencing statute requires at least 85% of the imposed sentence be served before parole eligibility, according to Justia Law.
Crime Trending Down Citywide
The shooting comes even as Oklahoma City's overall homicide numbers have been trending downward. The city recorded 74 homicides in 2025, a 5% decline from 78 in 2024 and one of the lowest annual totals since 1990, according to KWTV News 9. Statewide, violent crime fell 4.2% in 2025 while Oklahoma's homicide rate dropped 21.2% compared to the year before, per The Oklahoman.
Anyone with information on the suspect's whereabouts can contact Oklahoma City Crime Stoppers.
