KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda. She went to Lawrence, Kan., Tuesday to listen to KU student's reactions to the murder of 18-year-old Aidan Knowles early Saturday outside the Jayhawk Cafe.
—
A memorial has been added outside the Jayhawk Cafe to remember 18-year-old Aidan Knowles, killed in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"How could this happen? Or why did it happen?" asked Caden Letsche, a senior at the University of Kansas, remembering his thoughts when he first heard the news.
A lot of his questions are still up in the air. Some of them, though, he’s starting to figure out.
"It'll be interesting to me to see what The Hawk does about it — where they go from here and if they open back up anytime soon," Letsche said.
That last question from Letsche got an answer Tuesday afternoon. The Jayhawk Cafe announced they are reopening on Thursday.
In a statement, the Jayhawk Cafe called the shooting “senseless and tragic.” The statement said the “safety of guests and staff is their top priority.”
But some students said they don’t feel that way.
Senior Asher Denk was across the street from The Hawk when he heard the gunshots.
"I think this situation has demonstrated that security can definitely be improved," said Denk, who says he’s not scared. "I really do feel like this was a bad situation — a wrong-place, wrong-time thing — and a one-off event."
Senior Vincent Nowicki said he hopes adjustments are made to guarantee safety at the Hawk.
"Not sure how they got the guns into the Hawk," he said.
Nowicki said he's not changing his lifestyle because of the shooting.
Other students don’t feel that confident.
"I think it feels unsafe now to walk through this road after that shooting, especially," said Sujan Shilpakar, a PhD student in architecture.
Senior Maki Kominos said the shooting creates a sense of uncertainty.
"You're definitely going to think twice about going back there now," Kominos said.
According to the Lawrence Police Department, from early 2025 through early 2026, 14 proactive bar checks were conducted at the Jayhawk Cafe.
The police department said any potential repercussions for the bar will be determined once the department's investigation is complete.
The Douglas County, Kansas, District Attorney's Office formally charged two 18-year-olds with murder in connection with Saturday's deadly shooting.
—
