On Tuesday, a jury convicted Ryan C. Cheatham on charges of voluntary manslaughter and criminal possession of a firearm in the fatal shooting of Warren Simon Jr, aka Sugar Bear. The verdict came following a two-day trial in Leavenworth County District Court.

According to court records, on May 18, 2022, Leavenworth police officers were dispatched to a reported shooting inside an apartment. Upon arrival, they discovered the victim lying on the floor, his shirt stained with blood.

A witness who was inside the apartment when the shooting happened told police Cheatham and the victim were inside the living room of the apartment when Cheatham picked up Simon’s gun and pointed it at someone. Simon said he didn’t like the way Cheatham was pointing the gun; Cheatham then shot Simon multiple times. After the shooting, Cheatham fled the apartment but was later taken into police custody at a family member’s home.

During an interview with Leavenworth police officers on the night of the fatal shooting, Cheatham admitted to shooting Warren but claimed he did it in self-defense.

“We hate to hear about gun violence,” Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said. “It is senseless. As a prosecutor, we do the best we can with the tools we have to get justice for the victims.

“We are grateful for the invaluable support provided by our law enforcement officers throughout the course of this case.”

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 13.