Victor Gabriel Moreno, a 23-year-old man from Lawrence, Kansas, was a father who was working to take responsibility for his past actions. At a court hearing in 2022 for a previous robbery conviction, his adoptive father, Cliff Phillips, told the judge that Victor had a child and that prison would be too harsh a sentence. More than a dozen friends and family members appeared in court to support him.
Victor told the court he understood how his actions affected those around him and expressed "true sorrow for the pain my actions have caused." He acknowledged that his choices would keep him from the early stages of his child's life but said the experience had matured him. "No matter what way you look at it, it's changed me for the better," he said at the time.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, October 18, 2026, Victor’s life was cut short in a parking lot in downtown Lawrence. Around 3 a.m., Lawrence Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street. They discovered Victor in a parking lot on the west side of the street with gunshot wounds. Officers began rendering aid until paramedics from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical arrived, but Victor was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lawrence Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, with detectives working to piece together the events that led to the shooting. In a public statement, the department said, “Our thoughts are with the family as detectives continue gathering evidence in this active investigation.” Investigators utilized a combination of public and private surveillance video, license plate readers, and witness accounts to identify a suspect. Through this evidence, they were able to establish a timeline of events and begin the process of identifying the individuals involved.
The investigation quickly led to a person of interest. On Monday, October 19, 2026, just one day after the shooting, police arrested 23-year-old Daileon Maurice Thomas of Olathe, Kansas. He was taken into custody just after 8 p.m. and booked into the Douglas County jail. Detectives also recovered the firearm they believe was used in the fatal shooting. Police stated that they had no reason to believe that Victor and the suspect knew each other before the night of the tragic incident.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the Douglas County District Attorney’s office formally charged Daileon Maurice Thomas with intentional second-degree murder, a high-severity felony. Thomas made his first appearance in court that day before Judge Pro Tem Gary West, who set his bond at $500,000. A defense attorney was appointed to represent him, and his next court appearance was scheduled for October 27 before Judge Stacey Donovan.
Following Victor's death, his family announced that memorial services would be held at a later date. The investigation into his death is considered closed with the arrest and charging of a suspect. The case against Daileon Maurice Thomas was pending in the Douglas County District Court as of October 2026. Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call dispatch at 785-843-0250 or Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at 785-843-TIPS.
