A Lawrence man was stabbed several times Monday night in the middle of 26th Street near Redbud Lane, leaving blood pooled in the busy, apartment-lined street.

The victim, whom witnesses and police identified as Mike Moore, was flown by air ambulance to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., with severe injuries.

Lawrence Police arrived at the scene after what witnesses called a verbal argument that suddenly turned violent.

“These guys were yelling,” neighbor Doyle Hart said. “I heard loud, someone just cracking him. And the dude was bloody on the ground.”

Police Capt. Ray Urbanek said authorities were uncertain what sparked the stabbing, and said several people of interest were in custody for questioning.

“They got into some sort of an altercation; I don’t know if it was verbal, but they ended up in a scuffle,” Urbanek said.

One of those in custody Monday night was a man who called police dispatchers just after the incident and identified himself as the stabber, police said.

No charges have been filed, Urbanek said. Police were collecting more details and conducting interviews late Monday.

Urbanek also said he didn’t know how many times Moore had been stabbed. But witnesses on the scene said the stabs appeared to be repeated.

“I thought he was getting punched, but he wasn’t,” said a female witness who didn’t want to be identified. “Every time he got punched, he was getting stabbed.”

Moore apparently made a cell phone call from the street looking for help, said John Armstrong, Moore’s roommate.

“He called me up and said he’d been stabbed,” Armstrong said as police taped off the crime scene. “I don’t know why he called me.”