Two killed in overnight Lawrence shootings; suspect arrested

Post last updated at 4:54 p.m. Sunday, July 31:

A 53-year-old man and a 43-year-old man are dead after shootings in two Lawrence homes early Sunday.

Lawrence police arrested a suspect who they believe was responsible after a chase on Kansas Highway 10. They allege that the man fired shots at an officer from the car window during the pursuit, according to a news release from the department Sunday morning.

The first call was around 1 a.m. Sunday, when callers reported shots fired in the 1100 block of Tennessee Street. Officers found the 53-year-old man there critically injured, and he was taken to a Kansas City-area hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the release.

A second call shortly thereafter led officers to the 300 block of Northwood Lane, where officers found the 43-year-old man. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

“Investigators worked through the night to identify a suspect, located him, and tried to pull him over in the 900 Block of Lawrence Avenue about 6:00 am,” according to the release.

“The suspect did not comply and a led officers on a pursuit through town, down Haskell and to the Bypass accessing K-10 toward Kansas City. The suspect fired several times at officers while on K-10 until eventually hitting the stop sticks near Eudora and taken into custody.”

“In an effort to ensure all information is accurate, in a fluid situation, we will not be providing further details right now but clearly understand the public’s interest and concern, so we will update you on a regular basis,” Laura McCabe, spokesperson for LPD, said in the release. 

“In the meantime, we firmly believe this suspect acted alone, the public is in no further danger, and the LKPD officers fired upon have immediate access to our various support services. We have a continued law enforcement presence in several locations. In the interest of public safety, we ask that nearby residents follow law enforcement instructions to allow us to work the case safely.”

McCabe said that no officers were physically injured during the incidents, “but we take their mental health very seriously and are proactively working to provide services to those directly involved. We will also work as a department and law enforcement family to identify anyone who wants to talk about it and access the professional services we have in place.”

As of roughly 11:15 a.m. Sunday, the Douglas County jail booking log showed that Rodney Ericson Marshall, 51, of Lawrence was arrested at 7:40 a.m. on Kansas Highway 10 eastbound. According to the booking log, Marshall was being held without bond on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

No charges had been filed against Marshall in connection with the allegations as of Sunday morning. Arrestees and defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless and until they are convicted.

A “female passenger” was also in the car at the time of the arrest and was being questioned by investigators, according to an updated news release from LPD Sunday afternoon.

Officers were still investigating these incidents at various locations around town Sunday, according to the release.

One of those sites was Marshall’s address, as listed on the jail’s booking log. 

Special investigation units from Olathe and Shawnee were on the scene at the residence in the 3400 block of Harvard Road on Sunday “where officers are gathering potential evidence in the overnight homicide and attempted murder investigation,” McCabe said via email.

“We appreciate the public’s patience as we work to gather facts and want to assure there is no immediate risk to the public as it relates to the activity,” McCabe said. “A man possibly murdered two people and attempted to kill or injure several officers. We will move methodically through the investigative stages of this incident and are committed to be very proactive in releasing confirmed facts in a timely manner.”

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