Daitron Daniels Strickland, a teen from Shawnee charged with first-degree murder in connection to a fatal January shooting at the Hawk, pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Lawrence police allege that during the early morning hours of Jan. 17, Caiden Clem, of Atchison, fired several rounds into the air outside the Hawk. They allege that Daniels Strickland then turned and fired toward a small group near the entrance to the bar at 1340 Ohio St., killing 18-year-old Aidan Sullivan Knowles and injuring 16-year-old Brady Clark.
Douglas County Judge Amy Hanley found probable cause in September for Daniels Strickland, 19, to face trial on a charge of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.
Daniels Strickland’s attorneys had previously filed a request for immunity from prosecution, claiming Daniels Strickland was acting in self-defense because Clem had displayed a firearm and fired shots first, with Daniels Strickland firing seconds later.
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Hanley rejected that motion, saying the evidence did not establish that Daniels Strickland believed deadly force was necessary, nor that a reasonable person would have believed it was necessary under the circumstances.
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Any substantive motions in the case will be due Dec. 11.
If trial moves forward as planned after any motions are resolved, a status conference will be held March 4. A five-day trial is set to begin March 22.
Last month, Clem pleaded guilty to three charges of aggravated assault and to one count of attempted trafficking of contraband while in custody.
Defense attorney seeks change of venue
At the arraignment Thursday, Daniels Strickland’s attorney, Razmi Tahirkheli, said he had filed a motion seeking a change of venue for the trial.
In the motion, Tahirkheli said certain newspaper coverage of the case could prejudice potential jury members against Daniels Strickland.
Hanley set a hearing on the motion for Jan. 21.
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2022. He can be reached at [email protected].
Read his complete bio at this link. Read more of his work for the Times at this link.
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