Post last updated at 5:09 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17:
An 18-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old boy is in critical condition after a shooting around 2 a.m. Saturday at the Hawk in Lawrence, a popular bar near the University of Kansas campus, according to Lawrence police.
Police were dispatched to the bar, 1340 Ohio St., at 1:49 a.m. Saturday, according to LPD and its call log. An officer who was working at a nearby crash due to slick road conditions also heard the gunshots.
Officers found two victims at the Hawk with gunshot wounds and several potential witnesses, police said.
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“While officers on scene tended to the victims, others flooded the surrounding area. Soon after, officers found a group of people matching the suspects’ descriptions walking just blocks away,” according to an update from LPD.
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The victims’ families have been notified, but the police department is waiting at least 24 hours before releasing the deceased 18-year-old’s identity, according to the update. The 16-year-old remained in critical condition as of the 9:35 a.m. update from police.
The suspects were taken to the police department for questioning.
“Through the course of the investigation, probable cause was developed to suggest charging one suspect with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault and a second suspect with felony murder and aggravated assault,” according to LPD.
An 18-year-old man from Shawnee and an 18-year-old from Atchison were being held in the Douglas County jail without bond as of the most recent update to this article. The cases are pending review by prosecutors, according to the jail’s booking log.
Update:
• Lawrence police release some additional info on teen killed in shooting at the Hawk, Jan. 18, 2026
During a brief press conference Saturday afternoon at police headquarters, Major Hayden Fowler credited LPD officers and law enforcement with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and KU Police with swiftly gathering witness statements and taking the suspects into custody without incident.
Fowler took no questions during the press conference.
Police have not provided information about which of the teens involved were inside the bar at any point throughout the evening.
“Our hearts pour out to those people affected by this incident,” Fowler said.
The Hawk, aka Jayhawk Cafe, is close by two other popular bars, and all three are just a couple of blocks from the KU Memorial Union.
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August Rudisell (he/him) has been a photographer and videographer for The Lawrence Times since March 2021. He is a former dispatcher, he avidly consumes and creates local news, and he would love to meet your dog when out and about at a community event.
See more of his work for the Times here.
Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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