Olathe teenager found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for 2022 fatal shooting

An Olathe teenager charged in a 2022 fatal shooting has been found guilty of lesser charges by a Johnson County jury.

Kingston Blaze Kohlieber was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and criminal use of weapons by a jury on Monday, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.

Kohlieber, then 15, was originally charged in August 2022 with first degree murder in the death of Daniel Ward, officials said. At the time, he attended Olathe North High School.

The charges were originally filed in juvenile court, although the district attorney filed a waiver to prosecute the teen as an adult.

On July 30, 2022, police responded to a medical call around 11:30 a.m. at a residence in the 1200 block of North Purdom Street, where officers found an adult male, 29-year-old Daniel Ward, unresponsive with a significant head injury from a gunshot wound, according to the Olathe Police Department.

The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office announced the case is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 8, 2023.