Trial ordered in post-brawl confrontation

On Tuesday a Douglas County District Court judge ordered a man to stand trial on charges of threatening to shoot two women outside Jayhawker Towers.

The two victims, one former and one current member of the Kansas University track team, testified Tuesday during a preliminary hearing for Guy Lipscomb, 19. Lipscomb is not a KU student.

The women said Lipscomb threatened to get a gun and shoot them as they were standing in the parking lot near the towers Sept. 22.

“He said, ‘I have no problem shooting you guys. I have nothing going on in my life. I’m not as fortunate as you, and I have no problem going to get my gun,'” one of the victims testified.

The incident occurred after an earlier fight in the parking lot of the Burge Union that involved members of KU’s football and basketball teams.

One victim, a fifth-year senior majoring in African-American studies, said Lipscomb appeared to be injured from the earlier fight and looked out of place.

“I felt threatened, obviously, because I didn’t know who he was,” the victim said. “His lip was busted and he didn’t look like he belonged.”

The other victim, a current member of the track team, said she had seen Lipscomb at the previous incident at the Burge Union, and she testified that Lipscomb may have perceived her to be on the opposite side of that fight.

The Burge Union fight, which took place about an hour earlier, resulted in an injury to KU basketball guard Tyshawn Taylor and was followed by another altercation between members of the two teams the next day outside Wescoe Hall.

The women were not injured in the incident at the towers.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Robert Fairchild found there was enough evidence to bind Lipscomb over for trial on two counts of making criminal threats. Lipscomb is free on bond.

Lipscomb’s attorney entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client, and the judge scheduled a jury trial for March 31.