photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Cameron Jay Cooper appears at a hearing on Jan. 24, 2025, in Douglas County District Court.

A hearing in Douglas County District Court was delayed on Friday for a Lawrence teen accused in a shooting after the victim failed to appear to testify.

The teen, Cameron Jay Cooper, 18, is charged with one count of aggravated battery in connection with a shooting on Nov. 11, 2024, around 7:45 p.m. at 3323 Iowa St., the address of Easy Living mobile home park.

According to an affidavit in support of Cooper’s arrest, he told police that he shot 26-year-old Keith Allison, of Lawrence, twice in the leg in self-defense during a drug deal for $50 worth of marijuana, as the Journal-World reported.

Cooper was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday, when the state would have attempted to show probable cause existed to believe he had committed the crime.

The courthouse hallway was filled with more than a dozen Lawrence police officers and detectives who were prepared to testify, but when the hearing began, Senior Assistant District Attorney Ricardo Leal informed the court that the state was not able to serve Allison a subpoena to appear. Leal said that the state had informed Allison’s attorney, John DeMarco, about the hearing and DeMarco had assured the state that Allison was aware.

Leal asked Judge Sally Pokorny to issue an arrest warrant for Allison but also proposed another solution. He said that Allison has several pending cases, as a defendant, in Douglas County and is scheduled to appear on Wednesday. Leal said the state could serve Allison at that appearance.

Pokorny said it would be a good idea to wait and that she would have to issue a warrant regardless if Allison fails to appear next Wednesday. Court records indicate that Allison has four pending cases in Douglas County. Three are for alleged probation violations for convictions in 2021 and 2022 — two for incidents of felony burglary and another for misdemeanor domestic battery. The other is a felony criminal threat case that was charged in 2024.

Leal also said he had issues with two juvenile witnesses. One appeared with his mother and was appointed an attorney to address any Fifth Amendment issues. The other did not respond to his subpoena. Leal said that juvenile also has a pending felony matter with an upcoming court date. He said he would try to contact the juvenile’s attorney again to try and secure him as a witness. Court records indicate that juvenile is charged with felony criminal damage to a city parking garage.

Pokorny scheduled a status conference for Wednesday. Cooper remains in custody at the Douglas County Jail on a $50,000 bond.