Prosecutors drop murder charge for one teen in deadly Lawrence bar shooting
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Prosecutors drop murder charge for Caiden Clem; add aggravated assault, weapons counts.
- Dai’tron Daniels-Strickland faces upgraded first-degree murder, attempted murder charges.
- Prosecutors argue against Daniels-Strickland's self-defense claim.
Prosecutors have dropped a murder charge against one of two 18-year-olds accused in the deadly shooting outside a popular Lawrence bar last month, according to court documents.
The Douglas County District Attorney’s office last week filed new charges against Dai’tron L. Daniels-Strickland of Shawnee and Caiden Clem of Atchison, Kansas.
Eighteen-year-old Aidan Knowles was killed, and his close friend, 16-year-old Brady Clark, was critically injured when a confrontation spilled outside the Jayhawk Cafe, also known as “The Hawk,” and gunshots rang out on Jan. 17.
Clem no longer faces a count of felony first-degree murder in the death of Knowles. Instead, prosecutors have charged Clem with four counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.
The maximum punishment for aggravated assault is nearly three years in prison, according to court documents. Clark is not one of the four victims in the aggravated assault charges.
Meanwhile, prosecutors have upgraded charges against Daniels-Strickland, who now faces one count of premeditated first-degree murder, two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. He also faces a misdemeanor count of battery.
Prosecutors had previously charged him with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Under Kansas law, the punishment for premeditated first-degree murder is up to life in prison, with a mandatory 50 years before a person is eligible for parole, according to court documents. The punishment for attempted first-degree murder is between about 12 years and more than 54 years in prison.
Prosecutors also responded to a motion by the attorney for Daniels-Strickland seeking immunity from prosecution under Kansas law. The defense argues that he fired his weapon in self-defense after hearing nearby gunshots.
Prosecutors contend that there is probable cause to believe that Daniels-Strickland’s use of deadly force was not justified because he did not honestly believe, and a reasonable person would not have believed, that the use of such force was necessary.
“No one else felt the need to shoot at the three young men standing by the door, whom (Daniels-Strickland) shot at,” prosecutors said in their response.
According to court documents, Lawrence police responded to the shooting around 2 a.m. Jan. 17 at The Hawk, 1340 Ohio Street, where they found two victims: Knowles, who was deceased, and Clark, lying in front of a doorway to the bar.
Surveillance video and witness testimony show that Knowles and Clark were with a group of friends that went to The Hawk at about 10 p.m. While there, they met another group, which included Clem and Daniels-Strickland.
Around 1:45 a.m., the bar’s staff approached Clem and his group, telling them to leave. At that point, an altercation ensued, and everyone was eventually forced outside, and the staff shut the door, according to court documents.
Clem allegedly walked on the sidewalk and allegedly pointed a gun straight up and fired shots into the air, according to court documents.
Surveillance video allegedly shows people looking toward the street in Clem’s direction. Prosecutors contend that it’s clear they knew where the shots were coming from.
Daniels-Strickland, who was right outside The Hawk but still within the fencing, turned and walked away. After a few steps, he allegedly turned, pulled a gun from his waist, took a couple more steps back, and fired directly at Clark, Knowles and another person, who were standing outside the door, according to court documents.
Daniels-Strickland allegedly continued shooting as he backed up, then he ran out of the fenced area, across the street, and fled, according to court documents. None of the victims was armed.
This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 2:16 PM.
