A 23-year-old man was shot and killed overnight in a parking lot near 7th and New Hampshire streets in downtown Lawrence, and police say no suspect has been taken into custody. Officers were called to the scene around 3 a.m. Sunday after reports of gunfire, and found the man already dead when they arrived.
According to kctv5.com, crews were called around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, to 7th and New Hampshire streets for reports of gunshots, and officers arrived to find the man in a nearby parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the station reported. As of the initial reports, police had released no further information about what led up to the shooting or who may have been involved.
Separately, kshb.com reported that Lawrence police were investigating a homicide in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street, noting that no one was in custody at the time. The two location descriptions — the 700 block of New Hampshire Street and the intersection of 7th and New Hampshire — point to the same general downtown area near the parking lot where the man was found.
No Arrests, Few Details Released
Lawrence police have not identified the victim publicly, and no arrests had been announced in connection with the shooting as of the initial reports. The department asked anyone with information to call dispatch at 785-843-0250 or Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at 785-843-TIPS, per the same account from kshb.com. Fox 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV, which first reported the shooting, said it plans to update the story as more details are confirmed.
The shooting adds to a string of gun violence in Lawrence over the past year. A July 2025 shooting in the city left two people dead and one person in critical condition, according to FOX4KC.com.
City Crime Data Offers Limited Context
A City of Lawrence crime-data summary posted to the city's website noted that crimes against persons, a category that includes assaults, sex offenses and homicides, saw a slight decrease between 2024 and 2025, according to lawrenceks.gov. That figure offers only limited context and does not establish a broader trend tied to Sunday's shooting.
For now, the investigation into the downtown shooting remains open, with police continuing to seek information from the public as they work to determine what happened near 7th and New Hampshire streets early Sunday morning.
