Olathe Man Arrested in Lawrence Downtown Shooting That Killed 23-Year-Old Victor Gabriel Moreno

Lawrence police arrested Daileon Maurice Thomas, 23, of Olathe, on Monday evening, October 19, in connection with the early-Sunday shooting that killed Victor Gabriel Moreno, 23, of Lawrence, Kansas Public Radio and the Olathe Reporter reported. Moreno was found with gunshot wounds in a parking lot in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said investigators used public and private video, license-plate readers and witness accounts, and recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting. Officers are seeking a charge of first-degree murder; the allegation has not been proven in court.

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Lawrence police have arrested a 23-year-old Olathe man in connection with a downtown shooting early on Sunday that killed a 23-year-old Lawrence resident, the Lawrence Police Department said in a written statement reported by Kansas Public Radio on October 20, 2026.

Officers were called to a parking lot on the west side of New Hampshire Street, in the 700 block, shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, after someone reported gunshots. They found Victor Gabriel Moreno, 23, of Lawrence, suffering from gunshot wounds, began aid until paramedics took over, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police said on Monday evening that Daileon Maurice Thomas, 23, of Olathe, had been taken into custody and booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility. Officers are seeking a charge of first-degree murder. The Olathe Reporter noted that online records did not yet show whether formal charges had been filed. The charge sought by police is an allegation, and Thomas is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Investigators used public and private video, license-plate readers and witness accounts to advance the case, and recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting, Kansas Public Radio reported. Police said they do not believe Thomas and Moreno knew each other before the night of the shooting.

Police had earlier asked anyone with information about the homicide to call dispatch at 785-843-0250 or Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at 785-843-TIPS. The investigation remains active. Sources: Kansas Public Radio, October 20, 2026, reporting the Lawrence Police Department statement; Olathe Reporter, October 20, 2026.