photo by: Kim Callahan

Police Chief Rich Lockhart (in white sweatshirt) and other law enforcement personnel interview witnesses after a fatal shooting on Vermont Street on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

Updated at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 7

A man is dead after a shooting near the Lawrence Public Library early Wednesday evening, according to Lawrence police.

The Lawrence Police Department said on social media that the shooting happened in the 700 block of Vermont Street at around 5:10 p.m. In a news conference on Wednesday evening, Sgt. Drew Fennelly said a fight was reported first at the location, and that the shooting was reported while officers were en route.

Once police arrived, Fennelly said, they found the victim, a 39-year-old man. “We do believe he was shot,” Fennelly said.

At the scene, Police Chief Rich Lockhart said the victim was someone known to police but the suspect was not, and that police were waiting to release the victim’s identity until his next of kin had been notified.

Later in the evening, police said on social media that they were seeking a person named Nicholas Beaver as a suspect. At 10:16 p.m., they posted an update that said the suspect was in custody. The Douglas County Jail log indicated that Beaver, 32, whose address is listed as the Iowa Super 8, was arrested at West Sixth and Michigan streets shortly after 10 p.m. on suspicion of second-degree murder.

photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Lawrence police released this photograph of Nicholas Beaver who is wanted in connection with the shooting death of a 39-year-old man on March 6, 2024, in the 700 block of Vermont St.

Shortly after 6 p.m., police could be seen photographing the area directly in front of the bus stop across the street from the library, where someone’s personal effects were strewn on the ground. About eight to 10 police and emergency vehicles were at the library, and a police drone was flying above the site.

Vermont Street was entirely closed between Seventh and Eighth streets, and police tape was strung across the front of the library. Lockhart said police had locked down the library after they arrived.

The area across the street from the library is used for bus lanes, and numerous pedestrians and bus riders frequently congregate there. On social media, police said that “We know there are a lot of witnesses to the incident” and asked people with information to contact the department at (785) 832-7509.

“We can’t have things like this happening downtown or anywhere,” Fennelly said Wednesday evening. “So, one of the things that we’re going to be looking at is what are the circumstances that led to this event occurring? That’s going to be a part of the investigation, and that’s something that we’re going to have to take into consideration and examine how we can ensure things like that don’t happen more often.”

This is the second homicide in Lawrence in a span of less than 24 hours. Late Tuesday night, 18-year-old Lawrence resident Davin Gregory Kerr was shot in the 2900 block of Crestline Drive, and he later died from his injuries.

Fennelly said that the police department was doing all it could to investigate the homicides with the resources it had available.

“You know, we’re not a very large agency — we have, you know, approximately 150 sworn members and some civilian investigators — and these types of investigations require a lot of resources,” Fennelly said. “And for us to have this many resources assigned to two incidents within this short of a time span, that’s incredibly taxing on our personnel. But they’re out here doing their best. They’re doing everything they can.”

— Reporter Chris Conde contributed to this story.

photo by: Kim Callahan

Lawrence police respond to the scene of a fatal shooting across the street from the Lawrence Public Library on Vermont Street on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

photo by: Kim Callahan

Lawrence police respond to the scene of a fatal shooting across the street from the Lawrence Public Library on Vermont Street on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

photo by: Kim Callahan

Lawrence police respond to the scene of a fatal shooting across the street from the Lawrence Public Library on Vermont Street on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.