Lawrence bar where 2 teens were shot known for underage drinking, students say
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Hawk bar linked to repeated underage drinking, now scene of teen shooting.
- Two suspects charged in fatal attack; victims and suspects were inside bar.
- Police report 14 proactive checks in last year; state ABC holds licensing power.
A popular Lawrence bar with a reputation as a hotspot for underage drinking is facing renewed scrutiny after a shooting left one teenager dead and another in critical condition over the weekend.
“I was like, ‘The Hawk’s going to get shut down’ when I saw that headline,” said Joe Biundo, a senior studying journalism at the University of Kansas. “I was honestly thinking that there were going to be some form of consequences.”
The victim killed outside the bar around 2 a.m. Saturday was 18. The victim who survived is 16. Two 18-year-old suspects were separately charged with first- and second-degree murder and attempted murder on Tuesday in Douglas County.
Both victims and both suspects were confirmed to have been inside Jayhawk Cafe, known locally as “The Hawk,” at some point on Friday night or Saturday morning, according to Lawrence police.
It’s unclear whether any of the parties involved in the fatal incident had been drinking. But The Hawk has faced fines and a four-day liquor license suspension in the past for serving alcohol to underage patrons, court records show.
The Hawk’s ownership admitted to at least nine counts of allowing underage drinking between 2015 and 2019 alone, according to a Douglas County lawsuit brought by a man who claimed he was “brutally assaulted” by underage patrons at the bar. That lawsuit was ultimately resolved through a confidential settlement agreement, records show.
Jon Davis, who owns The Hawk, did not return phone calls Tuesday. In an email statement, the bar’s management team described the shooting as a “senseless and tragic incident.” The statement did not address The Star’s questions about ongoing safety concerns at The Hawk.
“We are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation,” the statement said. “The safety of our guests and staff remains our top priority, and we appreciate the quick response from first responders.”
According to the bar’s Instagram page, it will reopen on Thursday.
‘A freshman thing’
KU students told The Star that the shooting left them asking questions about safety and reckless behavior in the college town.
“I wouldn’t say technically that I’m scared or feel unsafe in Lawrence or at the bars. But definitely there’s a shift in the mood,” said Gianna Flanagan, a digital marketing major who lives close to The Hawk. One of her roommates was working at the bar the night of the shooting, she said.
“My biggest concern in all of that is just making sure that she’s OK and feeling safe at her place of work,” Flanagan said.
She said underage drinking at the Hawk among KU students is “just like a freshman thing.”
“When you come here and you’re 18, everyone’s like, ‘The Hawk. The Hawk. The Hawk,’” Flanagan said. “I mean, it’s fun when you’re the one doing it, like you’re 18 and you get to go to a bar. But we’re all 21 now, and it’s like, maybe that’s not such a good idea.”
Lawrence Police Department spokesperson Laura McCabe said officers routinely make the rounds at local bars to look for underage patrons. In the last year, the department has done 14 proactive checks at The Hawk, she said.
“That’s just going in and looking for minors who are drinking, looking for people who have fake IDs,” McCabe said in a phone interview.
She said the Police Department doesn’t have data on the number of citations issued in relation to those 14 bar checks. She also wouldn’t say whether officers respond to more reports of underage drinking at The Hawk than at other bars in Lawrence.
McCabe noted that The Hawk has an active liquor license issued by the Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, or ABC.
“That’s a state license, so that would be the agency that could take action against the licensee,” she said.
ABC did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did Lawrence city officials, including the mayor, city commissioners and the city manager.
McCabe said that in the fall, officers regularly go downtown to talk to new students “about the dangers of underage drinking.”
“It’s a significant concern for us at the Lawrence Police Department — as it is with all college towns,” she said.
The Star’s Eleanor Nash contributed reporting
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
