A Topeka man remained in custody Monday in connection with a downtown Lawrence shooting that injured a Tonganoxie teen.
The 41-year-old suspect was arrested in downtown Lawrence a few hours after the Friday morning shooting, but police didn't learn of the connection until later that afternoon.
The man was being held Monday at the Shawnee County Jail, where he was taken Friday afternoon following his arrest in Lawrence.
He ended up in Shawnee County because he was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant for a probation violation, but the Lawrence police officer who arrested him Friday morning didn't know he was suspected of the shooting, Lawrence Police Det. John Lewis said on Monday.
Jason K. Smith, 18, Tonganoxie, was shot once in the back of his left leg shortly before 1 a.m. Friday during a fight outside the Granada, 1020 Mass. Police were on the scene in seconds, but the assailant already had run away.
Shortly after the shooting, a Law-rence police officer on downtown patrol stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. The officer asked for identification from the driver and a passenger and learned that the passenger was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant issued by Shawnee County, Lewis said.
The passenger was taken to the Douglas County Jail, where Shawnee County authorities picked him up later Friday afternoon.
The man was wanted on suspicion of the shooting, which occurred during a fight outside the Granada. Smith said he and some others in a group from Tonganoxie became involved in an altercation with three men from Topeka. Punches were thrown, and one of the Topeka men drew a gun and shot Smith.
As Lawrence Police investigated the shooting, they learned that the assailant was from Topeka. Detectives on Friday went to conduct interviews in Topeka, where they learned that the suspect had been arrested and was in custody at the Shawnee County Jail, Lewis said.
The Topeka man was being held at the Shawnee County Jail, but a bond hadn't been set on his probation violation charge, a jail official said.
Lewis wouldn't comment on the interview detectives had with the shooting suspect, but he said the investigation was continuing and reports on the shooting soon would be forwarded to the Douglas County district attorney's office.
The Journal-World generally doesn't identify suspects in criminal cases unless charges have been filed.
The gun that authorities believe was used in the shooting was found lying on the sidewalk near Smith and had been stolen from Topeka, but Lewis said it wasn't known where or when the theft had occurred.
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