Man arrested in shooting that killed 3 in downtown Lawrence

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man suspected of fatally shooting three people earlier this month in a popular downtown area of a Kansas college town.

Lawrence police said in a news release that the U.S. Marshals took 20-year-old Anthony Laron Roberts Jr. into custody in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, one day after two others were charged with less serious offenses. Missouri court records show that extradition was ordered after a hearing Thursday in Kansas City.

The shooting happened early Oct. 1 as people were leaving bars, concerts and other events on the main downtown Lawrence street. About 100 people witnessed the shooting, which police said was caused by an earlier altercation.

Charges were filed last Friday against Roberts but not announced until he was arrested. He faces one count of first-degree murder in the death of Leah Elizabeth Brown, 22, of Shawnee, and two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Tremel Dupree Dean, 24, of Topeka; and Colwin Lynn Henderson, 20, of Topeka. He also was charged with one count of attempted second-degree murder in the wounding of a man who was among two shooting victims to survive. None of the victims were students at the University of Kansas.

Cheryl Wright Kunard, public information officer for the Douglas County, Kansas, prosecutor’s office, had no information about whether he has an attorney, noting that he hasn’t yet appeared in court there.

No details have been provided about the motive. The charging documents say only that Brown was killed in the “commission of” the other killings.

Also jailed in the shooting is 22-year-old Ahmad Malik Rayton, who is charged with attempted second-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. Dominique Jaquez McMillon, 19, is charged with aggravated assault and battery. Bond is set at $1 million for Rayton and $25,000 for McMillon.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.