Mark Gerald Hopkins II

A Columbus man has been arrested and is facing Capital Murder charges stemming from a double murder in rural northwestern Cherokee County.

Around 8:30 Sunday morning, Cherokee County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to a location near Northwest 19th and Cardinal Lane, where the bodies of 27-year-old Blaze Swank and 20-year-old Kylan Shook were discovered. Both victims had been shot.

"Our detectives, along with agents from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, conducted dozens of interviews and served search warrants throughout the day Sunday, which led us to seek an arrest warrant for Mark Gerald Hopkins II," stated Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves.

Cherokee County Attorney Jake Conard obtained an arrest warrant for Hopkins late Sunday evening, charging him with Capital Murder.

"Around 3:00 this morning, Hopkins was located near Fairland Oklahoma. Despite his attempt to flee on foot, he was apprehended and is now being held in the Ottawa County Oklahoma Jail, pending extradition back to Kansas," according to Sheriff Groves.

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