What happened at The Hawk? Court documents shed light on deadly Lawrence shooting
Moments after a confrontation spilled outside a popular Lawrence bar, gunshots rang out, killing 18-year-old Aidan Knowles and critically injuring his close friend, 16-year-old Brady Clark, according to newly unsealed court documents.
The court documents detail how a group of teens got into the Jayhawk Cafe, also known as “The Hawk,” and the series of events that led up to the deadly Jan. 17 shooting, in which the Douglas County District Attorney has charged two 18-year-olds.
Dai’tron L. Daniels-Strickland of Shawnee faces one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. Meanwhile, Caiden Clem of Atchison, Kansas, faces charges of felony first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
Clark and Knowles’ families said the teens killed were “simply in the wrong place at the wrong time” and were innocent bystanders “caught in a senseless act of violence.”
In a follow-up statement issued after the release of the court records, the Clark family thanked the public for their support, and said their hearts were with the Knowles family, even as their own son “continues to recover from the physical and emotional trauma of the weekend shooting.” They noted while he “has a long road ahead ... we are taking things one day at a time,” and concluded by calling for justice and continued healing for both the families impacted and the community.
‘Pointing gun at people’
According to court documents, Lawrence police officers responded to a “shooting in progress” around 2 a.m. Jan. 17 at The Hawk, 1340 Ohio St.
Dispatcher notes said a person in orange was “pointing a gun at people” and that about five shots had been fired. Another caller reported two people had been shot.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Knowles, who was deceased, along with Clark lying in front of a doorway to The Hawk.
Officers searched the area and found Clem, dressed in all orange, and Daniels-Strickland with two others a few blocks away in an alley in the 1100 block between Ohio and Louisiana streets. Police detained the group of four and took them to a police station for a recorded statement.
Back at the crime scene, three witnesses approached officers who were setting up crime scene tape. They told the officers that they witnessed the shooting and knew Knowles and Clark.
Officers took the three witnesses to a police station for an interview. The three gave similar narratives, according to court documents.
Two of the witnesses said they drove to Lawrence to meet Knowles, Clark and the other witnesses. They said they had known Clark for about a year, but had just met Knowles that night.
The group went to The Hawk around 10 p.m. and stayed there the majority of the night. While there, they met another group, which included Clem and Daniels-Strickland. The witnesses said there had been no issues during the evening, and everyone had gotten along well, according to court documents.
Two of the witnesses left prior to closing and walked to another nearby bar. They attempted to return to The Hawk, but the staff wouldn’t let them in. The two witnesses got in their car and as they were leaving, they saw Clark, Knowles, and the other person in their group, along with others they met that night, fighting with the staff at The Hawk, court documents said.
They stopped and got out to help. At the time, a group of males, including Daniels-Strickland, were arguing with staff and demanding the return of a cellphone. One of the bouncers handed a cellphone to a member of the group, who started to walk away.
Shortly after, Clem, who was wearing all orange, allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired about four shots into the air, while standing between Ohio Street and The Hawk’s main entrance, according to court documents.
Immediately after, Daniels-Strickland allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired several rounds at Clark, Knowles and another member in their group, who were standing near The Hawk’s western doorway, court documents stated.
One of the witnesses gave police a description of the shooters and what they were wearing, which generally matched those of Clem and Daniels-Strickland, according to court documents.
Another witness said he was in fear for his life, saying that when shots were fired, he heard at least two rounds fly by his head, he could hear the pop and “sonic boom” as the bullets passed, according to court documents.
Surveillance video shows fight with bar staff
Surveillance video from both inside and outside The Hawk allegedly shows that Clem, Daniels-Strickland and two others snuck into the bar through an unmanned side entrance around 11 p.m. They were seen interacting with one of the witnesses and his friends without incident.
At about 1:45 a.m., the bar’s staff approached Clem and his group, telling them to leave. Although there was no audio of the exchange, staff members told investigators what was said, according to court documents.
At that point, Clem and two others began to verbally and then physically fight with the staff. Two members of the group can be seen wrestling with and striking The Hawk’s employees.
Clem allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and held it to his side. Another person walked up and pinned the weapon to Clems side, according to surveillance video.
Eventually, staff members forced most of Clem’s group outside. Meanwhile, two other employees, along with a DJ, are seen on surveillance video talking to Clem. Eventually, they convinced Clem to leave.
Clem allegedly pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the left side of a bouncer’s head. Surveillance video shows the bouncer turn around and, upon seeing the weapon, put his hands up.
Clem then put away the weapon and exited the bar. After he was outside, surveillance video showed him pull up his hood, and as he walked toward Ohio Street, he allegedly fired three to five shots.
At that same time, Daniels-Strickland allegedly turned and pulled out a handgun from his waistband and fired an unknown number of shots at Clark, Knowles and another person before fleeing the area.
When questioned by police, Clem allegedly told a detective that he was in the area when he saw people running. He said he didn’t hear any gunshots and denied firing any weapons, being in possession of a firearm, or being involved in the disturbance leading up to the shooting, according to court documents.
Daniels-Strickland seeks immunity from prosecution
Daniels-Strickland allegedly told a detective he had gone to The Hawk with his friend Clem and others. He said they were just “chilling” and had no issues with anyone during the night.
At closing, Daniels-Strickland said he saw an altercation between a group of people and the “door guys,” and when he was outside, he saw someone get pushed out of the bar.
Daniels-Strickland allegedly told the detective that he then heard multiple gunshots, so he pulled out his own gun and started firing at a half-cement wall next to the front door. Daniels-Strickland told the detective he fired the gun because he was scared after hearing the gunshots.
Daniels-Strickland allegedly told the detective he pointed his gun upwards and did not aim at anyone, according to court documents.
He told police that initially, he did not see where the initial shots came from, but later determined that Clem had allegedly fired the first rounds because he was talking about the shooting when they later met up, according to court documents.
Detectives showed Daniels-Strickland video surveillance footage that allegedly showed he did not point upward, but rather directly at people near the door.
In response, Daniels-Strickland allegedly said he did not remember seeing anyone directly in front of him when he fired, nor did he see anyone drop after he fired the shots. He also allegedly said he had not aimed at anyone because if he had, he would have turned on the flashlight connected to his gun.
During a search of the area, police found two firearms believed to have been related to the incident.
Officers found the first one, a tan colored semi-automatic handgun, atop a commercial heating and air conditioning unit on the northwest side of Gertrude Sellards Pearson’s Hall, near West 11th and Louisiana streets, and a black Glock handgun with an extended magazine and gun light attached, under a vehicle parked inside a parking garage in the 1100 block of Louisiana Street.
The attorney for Daniels-Strickland has filed a motion seeking immunity from prosecution under Kansas law, asserting that he fired his weapon in self-defense after hearing nearby gunshots.
A preliminary hearing for both Clem and Daniels-Strickland is scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 10.
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 3:16 PM.
