Lawrence police continue to seek witnesses in weekend stabbing, shooting

A 23-year-old Lawrence man was in critical but stable condition Monday morning at a Topeka hospital, where he was taken after he was shot early Sunday at a south Lawrence apartment complex.

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Police have asked anyone with information about the shooting or the stabbing to call them at 785-832-7650 or leave a tip at the Douglas County Crime Stoppers hotline by calling 785-843-TIPS.

Sgt. Matt Sarna, a Lawrence police spokesman, said officers and detectives had made no arrests in connection with the weekend shooting — or a separate stabbing incident downtown that injured a Kansas City, Kan., man.

He said police were having difficulty finding witnesses to get a description of suspects in both cases.

“There are not a whole lot of people talking,” Sarna said.

With the shooting, nearby residents reported hearing a noise, possibly a gunshot, around 2:30 a.m. Sunday at South Pointe Apartments, 2310 W. 26th St.

Police were called by officials at Lawrence Memorial Hospital when the 23-year-old Lawrence man showed up at LMH with apparent gunshot wounds. Sarna said the man was shot after an altercation at the apartment complex.

The shooting victim was later flown to a hospital in Topeka. His injuries were believed to be life-threatening on Sunday, but police said Monday morning his condition had stabilized.

In a separate incident, a patrol officer about 1:40 a.m. Sunday noticed a large fight that had spilled into the street in front of Liberty Hall, 644 Mass.

The crowd dispersed as police responded to the area, and later a 20-year-old Kansas City, Kan., man showed up at LMH with stab wounds. Police determined the man had been stabbed several times during the fight downtown.

Sarna said people involved in the fight had attended a party at Liberty Hall and that the fight broke out as it was concluding.

“Downtown, of course, is a very highly populated section of town on weekends, so we try to get more resources there, including officers outside of establishments when they are closing if they have large crowds,” he said.

But Sarna said because several people dispersed after the fight, police were having a tough time tracking down witnesses. No update was available Monday, but on Sunday police said the stabbing victim’s wounds were not believed to be life threatening. The victim was eventually taken to a hospital in the Kansas City area.