A criminal affidavit obtained by the Post provides new details to the Jan. 17 shooting at a popular Lawrence bar, with a Johnson County man named as one of the suspects.
In the affidavit, Lawrence Police say they were called to the Jayhawk Cafe at 1340 Ohio St., which is more commonly known as “The Hawk,” for a report of a person “pointing a gun at people” and another caller reporting that two people had been shot.
Daitron Daniels Strickland, 18, who, according to Douglas County jail logs, is a resident of Merriam, was arrested after a police search and has since been charged with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, according to online court records.
The second suspect, a resident of Atchison, Kansas, Caiden Clem, also 18, was found and arrested during the same search. He has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault with the use of a deadly weapon, according to online court records.
The affidavit says police arrived to find 18-year-old Aiden Knowles dead, and 16-year-old Brady Clark critically injured. Both were found lying near the southern entry/exit door of the bar.
Officers began searching the area for a man dressed in an orange jumpsuit, later identified as Caiden Clem, who witnesses reported had been pointing a gun at people and fired approximately five shots outside of the bar.
3 witnesses shed light on events leading up to shooting
During the search, officers at the bar were approached by three individuals who said they witnessed the shooting and knew both of the victims.
The three male witnesses told investigators that they arrived in Lawrence around 10 p.m. with the victims, and they all went to The Hawk.
While inside the bar, they say their group was hanging out with another group of males, including Daniels Strickland and Clem. They reported no issues in either group throughout the night.
Before closing time, two males from the group of witnesses walked to The Wheel, 507 W. 14th St., before trying to return to The Hawk, but staff would not let them back in.
The two got into their car to leave and, as they were driving south past the bar, noticed Clark, Knowles, and another male they had met earlier in the night fighting with bar staff. They stopped the car to help in the fight.
Investigators say Daniels Strickland and two other men, whose names are redacted in the affidavit, were arguing with bar staff and demanding the return of a cell phone.
When one of the bouncers handed the cell phone to a male, the group began walking away.
“Shortly after, a male in all orange,” later identified as Clem, “pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired approximately four rounds into the air while standing between Ohio Street and The Hawks’ main entrance,” the affidavit says.
It goes on to say that “immediately after” Clem fired shots, a man, later identified as Daniels Strickland, pulled out a Glock semi-automatic handgun and fired several shots at Knowles, Clark, and another male whose name is redacted, as they stood near The Hawks’ western entrance/exit doors.
Below is a full copy of the affidavit with redactions.
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Open in new tab What surveillance video showed that night
The affidavit reads that surveillance video from The Hawk shows the group of four, including Daniels Strickland, entering the bar through a side entrance that was not staff-monitored around 11 p.m.
Surveillance video from The Hawk was reviewed by investigators, who say it shows bar staff telling Clem and his group to leave at approximately 1:45 a.m.
Investigators say Clem and three other males, all of whose names are redacted, started to argue with and then fight bar staff.
During the fight, Clem can be seen pulling out a handgun and holding it to his side.
“Staff are eventually able to force most of Clem’s group outside, while at least two other employees, along with the DJ, are seen talking to Clem,” the affidavit reads. “Staff eventually convinces Clem to leave without incident.”
Investigators say that as Clem was walking toward the west exit doors, he walked up behind a bouncer who was attempting to keep Daniels Strickland and others from the group from coming back inside the bar.
The affidavit says that Clem again pulled out the handgun, this time pointing it at the bouncer’s head. The bouncer turned and, appearing to see the weapon, put his hands up.
Shortly after exiting the bar and walking toward the street, Clem pulled out the handgun for a third time and fired “approximately three to five rounds” at about 1:49 a.m., investigators say.
“At the same time, Daniels Strickland, who began to walk north and away from the incident, turns and pulls out a dark colored handgun from his waistband,” the affidavit reads. “Daniels Strickland points the firearm towards Clark, [redacted], and Knowles, firing an unknown number of rounds towards the three before fleeing the area.”
Officers found 2 handguns believed to be from the shooting
The search by officers using a K-9 and police drones located Clem and Daniels Strickland, both of whom appeared to have tossed their handguns.
Officers located one handgun on top of an HVAC unit on the side of Gertrude Sellards Pearson, often called GSP, Residence Hall, 500 W. 11th St., on the University of Kansas Campus. The second gun was found underneath a parked vehicle inside the parking garage at 1136 Louisiana St.
During an interview, police described Clem as “mostly uncooperative,” saying that he admitted to being in Lawrence with “several associates,” but refused to identify them.
Clem admitted that he had been in the area of The Hawk, but claimed he was not involved in any disturbance, did not have a firearm, never fired a gun, and didn’t hear gunshots.
Daniels Strickland was also interviewed and admitted to having a gun. He claimed that the shots he fired were unaimed, but were in the direction of a cement wall outside the front door of the bar.
Investigators say he claimed he fired the gun without aiming at anyone, after he heard someone else firing shots, which made him feel scared.
While claiming that he didn’t aim at anyone, Daniels Strickland also told investigators that he believed it was maybe a “good thing he caught a body on his first adult charge.”
What’s next for the suspects
Daniels Strickland and Clem both remain in custody of the Douglas County jail on $1 million bond.
Both are scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
