Prosecutors file attempted murder charge against Lawrence man for Michigan Way shooting

Douglas County prosecutors have filed an attempted intentional second-degree murder charge against a 27-year-old Lawrence man, accusing him of shooting another man on Michigan Way early on April 1.

According to court records, District Attorney Charles Branson charged William J. Verner on April 2 through a warrant as part of the Lawrence police investigation into the shooting.

Lawrence police said the victim, a 22-year-old Lawrence man, was found injured about 3:30 a.m. outside apartments in the 1300 block of Michigan Way. The apartments are just north of the intersection of Second and Michigan streets. Officers at the scene initially reported the man was shot in the leg.

The victim, whose home address is not in the apartment complex, was first taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries that police said were not believed to be life-threatening. He later was transferred to Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.

Prosecutors said a judge on Wednesday set Verner’s bond at $75,000 cash or surety, appointed Lawrence attorney James Rumsey to defend him and scheduled his next hearing for April 18.

According to jail records, Verner turned himself in to the Douglas County Jail at 6 a.m. Wednesday, and he was also booked on four outstanding traffic warrants.