Post last updated at 11:47 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18:
Two people died from gunshot wounds Wednesday morning at Oak Hill Cemetery, according to Lawrence police.
In an afternoon update, police said investigators have notified the families of the deceased. LPD provided the names Ana Marie Jessee, 22, of Lawrence, and Robert Sowders, 36, of Overland Park. “Detectives are investigating the case as a possible murder-suicide,” according to the update.
Sarah Keith, a friend of Jessee’s, said Jessee was gender-fluid and that he was using the name Alex and he/they pronouns.
“He didn’t go by his dead name anymore and did not want to be called a woman any longer,” Keith said.
Jessee’s mother, Elise Bolton Jessee, said she believed Keith had not spoken to Jessee in years, and that Jessee was using the name María.
“The young woman who was in my home 30 minutes before she died called herself María,” Bolton Jessee said.
Police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Oak Hill Avenue around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a disturbance with weapons.
“We arrived and found a male and a female with gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene,” Laura McCabe, a spokesperson for LPD, said via email.
Scanner traffic indicated that the caller heard two shots, and that a man had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his head and a second person had a serious wound to their body.
“The Lawrence CSI Team is on scene collecting evidence. There is no risk to the public,” McCabe said Wednesday morning. “We are working to notify family members and will provide relevant updates, when possible, as the investigation progresses.”
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