photo by: Contributed

Omar Dominguez Gavilan, 28, was shot and killed Jan. 5, 2025, at Lawrence City Hall.

The City of Lawrence employee who fatally shot a 28-year-old man two months ago at City Hall will not be charged with a crime.

Douglas County District Attorney Dakota Loomis said in a news release late Friday afternoon that he had reviewed the shooting death of Omar Dominguez Gavilan and that no charges would be filed because the city employee acted in self-defense and defense of others.

“Our office recognizes the impact this traumatic event has had on our community, city staff, and Omar Dominguez Gavilan’s family and loved ones,” Loomis said in the release. “That is why our office conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, reviewing all relevant information to ensure we reached the appropriate decision. Based upon our review of the available information, state statutes, and case law the filing of criminal charges is not warranted.”

Gavilan, of Buffalo, Minnesota, died Jan. 5 after he had an early-morning altercation with security personnel.

According to Gavilan’s family, he suffered from schizophrenia and was traveling to see his grandmother in Mexico at the time of his death.

Gavilan was in Lawrence because Kansas Highway Patrol troopers gave him a ride on Jan. 4 from the I-70 service area east of town to the Amtrak station a half mile from City Hall — after he said he had missed his bus. He had been behaving erratically at the service area, police said; they were asked to remove him, but they said they had no cause to arrest him.

Lawrence police have said that Gavilan did not have a firearm on him when he was shot and killed. The city employee responsible for the shooting was placed on administrative leave per protocol.