Missouri man charged in Lawrence triple shooting near KU

A 22-year-old Grain Valley, Mo., man was charged Wednesday in the Feb. 8 shooting of three men in a home just south of the Kansas University campus.

Caleb K. Chrisman is charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and three counts of aggravated kidnapping after allegedly holding Phillip Hawley, Seth Peterson and Arthur Perez at gunpoint in an attempt to rob them of cash around 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 in a home at 1621 W. 19th Terrace, court documents state.

The three victims, two of whom are KU students, suffered gunshot wounds during the commission of the crime, according to Lawrence police spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley. None of the charges filed against Chrisman implies he shot the men.

McKinley said all three victims are now out of the hospital, with the third released over the weekend.

Before Chrisman’s arrest, officers had been looking for more than two weeks for two male suspects who had allegedly run from the home following the shooting. McKinley said earlier this month that detectives found evidence and footprints suggesting two individuals fled east from the home into the field east of KU’s Oliver residence hall and toward KU’s Ambler Student Recreation Center.

Earlier this month, McKinley said the victims and at least one suspect knew each other. But McKinley could not say Thursday whether Chrisman was the suspect who reportedly knew the victims, as the case was turned over to the Douglas County District Attorney’s office.

The case remains under investigation, McKinley said, as officers continue to pursue leads and “attempt to identify and locate other suspects who may have been involved.”

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Lawrence Police at 832-7509 or CrimeStoppers at 843-TIPS (8477). Calls made to CrimeStoppers may be made anonymously, and callers could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Thursday night, Chrisman was in the Douglas County Jail on a $500,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 3.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office denied the Journal-World’s request for Chrisman’s booking photo.