KU student charged with selling wristbands for underage customers to enter Lawrence bar

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Court documents claim a KU student sold illegal wristbands to underage teenagers that allowed them access to The Hawk in Lawrence on the night of a deadly shooting.

Hunter Noravong is charged in Douglas County Court with four counts of purchase or consumption of an alcoholic beverage by a minor.

The four charges are misdemeanors.

A court document claims nine underage boys tried just before 11 p.m. on Jan. 16 to get into the bar, but were turned away by a bar employee.

A few minutes later, they contacted a man in a compact SUV near the bar.

Less than 15 minutes later, the group entered the bar wearing blue wristbands used to identify customers 21 years of age or older.

A bar employee sent a screenshot of Noravong as a possible suspect in selling the phony wristbands.

Designated bar workers put the wristbands on customers, according to the court documents.

Lawrence police brought in people who allegedly bought wristbands from Noravong, and they identified him as the person who sold them the bracelets for $20.

Noravong had warned customers not to say anything “because he could lose his scholarship,” according to the court document.

The shooting inside the bar that night killed Aidan Knowles, 18, and critically wounded Brady Clark, now 17.

The murder charges against one of the accused, Caiden Clem, were dropped. Clem is now charged with four counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

Daitron Daniels Strickland now faces a first-degree murder charge and two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

He’s also charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and one count of battery.

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