A Johnson County man faces charges for an early-morning shooting at a Lawrence bar that left an 18-year-old man dead and also critically injured a teenager.
In a news release, Lawrence Police said they were called to Jayhawk Cafe, commonly known as The Hawk, at 1340 Ohio St., just before 2 a.m. Saturday.
“Responding officers found two victims with gunshot wounds and several potential witnesses, who told officers the suspects took off,” the police statement said. “Soon after, officers found a group of people matching the suspects’ descriptions walking just blocks away.”
Police said the 18-year-old died at the shooting scene, and a 16-year-old male remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The 16-year-old was transported by ambulance to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, for treatment of a single gunshot wound.
In a Facebook post Sunday, later reposted by Lawrence Police, the father of the person killed identified the victim as Aidan Knowles.
Bobby Knowles said in his post that “our son was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are completely devastated.”
Police have not said if the shooting happened inside the bar or outside.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office booking logs show Lawrence officers arrested two 18-year-old men near the shooting scene.
The first suspect is listed in the booking log as a resident of Shawnee, though the numbered street name provided is not a valid address in Johnson County. Using Johnson County property records, similar addresses with a valid street number exist in the same zip code in Merriam.
The suspect is being held without bond on pending charges of intentional and premeditated first-degree murder, unintentional but reckless attempted second-degree murder, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The second suspect, a resident of Atchison, Kansas, is also held without bond on pending charges of first-degree murder in the commission of a felony, aggravated assault with the use of a deadly weapon, and a Kansas Department of Corrections probation violation.
The Post does not identify suspects until they are formally charged.
