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Stumble It!Police released additional details at Monday's news conference on the Sunday morning shooting, which left one man dead and another seriously injured. This was the first homicide in the city of Lawrence in 2006. But police said they are having difficulty tracking down more information.
Police responded a call around 2 a.m. Sunday morning from a Lawrence Police Officer who reported what he thought were gunshots fired in the 1000 block of Mass. St. Topeka resident Steve Bowen also heard the shots.
"I was sitting down there talking to a couple of them people there. Next, I heard three shots," said Steve Bowen, Topeka resident.
According to police, an altercation between about eight people broke out in front of Einstein Brothers Bagels, 1026 Mass. St., and two men were shot. Robert Williams, 46, Topeka, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
The other victim, 22-year-old Kansas City resident, Pierre Burnette, remains in a Kansas City hospital. Police plan to speak to Burnette today. Police said there is no known connection between the victims.
Police said they do not have the name of the suspected shooter, only that he is a black male who is described as wearing a puffy style jacket. Police have questioned some witnesses but said many remain to be questioned.
"It is very frustrating for us to know that we have perhaps as many as a dozen witnesses in the community who are not speaking to us at the present time," Ron Olin, chief of the Lawrence Police Department, said.
Some Lawrence police officers regularly patrol downtown. However, the police department said it is constantly re-thinking the amount of patrol that is needed in the area.
"The downtown area is relatively safe when we talk about the general status of downtown Lawrence. However, we do have a history of activity in the 1000 block of Mass. St., so that is an area of concern," Olin said.
No surveillance cameras exist in the 1000 block of Mass. However, Olin said there are other surveillance cameras in the surrounding area.
Police said they still have many unanswered questions and dozens more people they need to interview.
The Lawrence Police Department will post any further information obtained in regards to Sunday's shooting on its web site.
