Police, father name 18-year-old killed outside KU bar: ‘Completely devastated’
Aidan Knowles, 18, was shot to death Saturday morning near a Lawrence bar, the Lawrence Police Department and Knowles’ father confirmed Sunday afternoon.
Bobby Knowles, Aidan’s father, posted publicly on Facebook, “We have learned that our son was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are completely devastated.”
He wrote that the 16-year-old victim of Saturday’s shooting, who was in critical condition as of Saturday morning, was “one of (Aidan’s) close friends.”
“To Lawrence Fire & EMS—thank you from the bottom of our hearts for doing everything possible to save our son and for saving his friend’s life,” Bobby Knowles wrote online.
“We take some comfort in knowing that outstanding officers and detectives are working tirelessly to see this case through.”
He then thanked friends and family for the “prayers, support, and kindness during this unimaginable time.”
Officers with the Lawrence Police Department responded just after 2 a.m. Saturday morning for a reported shooting at the Jayhawk Cafe, more commonly called “The Hawk.” When they arrived, officers found two people with apparent gunshot wounds, according to a Lawrence PD news release.
Paramedics responded and pronounced Knowles dead at the scene, police said.
One suspect is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault, police said in a news release. A second suspect is being held on suspicion of felony murder and aggravated assault, the news release said.
Both suspects were booked into the Douglas County jail Saturday. According to booking records, the suspects appear to be two 18-year-old men.
The Star is not yet naming the suspects since official charges have not been filed in court as of Sunday afternoon.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the shooting took place in the early hours of Saturday morning. A previous version of the story said the shooting happened on Friday
The Star’s Kendrick Calfee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 18, 2026 at 5:14 PM.
