Two teens who are charged in connection with a fatal shooting early Saturday at the Hawk appeared in court Wednesday morning, and one of their attorneys said he plans to file a motion for immunity from prosecution.
The shooting occurred close to 2 a.m. Saturday at the bar, 1340 Ohio St. Police said they quickly gathered witness statements, identified two suspects and took them into custody nearby without incident.
Olathe-based defense attorney Carl Cornwell is representing Caiden Clem, 18, of Atchison. Clem is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Prosecutors are alleging he shot and killed 18-year-old Aidan Knowles.
Clem’s charge of felony murder alleges that he shot Knowles “in the commission of, attempt to commit, or flight from an inherently dangerous felony,” the aggravated assault counts.
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Under Kansas law, the aggravated assault charge indicates that someone placed another person in fear for their life or in fear of bodily harm; a battery charge would indicate someone actually injured someone else.
Razmi Tahirkheli of Tahirkheli & Premer-Chavez Law Office is representing Daitron Daniels Strickland, 18, of Shawnee.
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Daniels Strickland is charged with second-degree murder in Knowles’ death. He is also charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder of a 16-year-old who was taken to an area hospital after the shooting, and a second attempted murder count as prosecutors allege he fired a gun at another 17-year-old.
Both defendants appeared in court via videoconference from the Douglas County jail, where they’re being held on bonds of $1 million. That means they’d likely have to pay a bail bond service $100,000 to be released from jail pending trial.
Circumstances of the shooting have been unclear, though Knowles’ father, Bobby Knowles, wrote on Facebook in a post shared by the Lawrence Police Department that “We have learned that our son was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Tahirkheli told Hanley he plans to file a motion for immunity for Daniels Strickland.
“We’re not going to do an immunity (motion), obviously,” Cornwell told the judge on Clem’s behalf. He did not elaborate.
The cases are tentatively set for an all-day hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 10, but that date could change depending on the court’s calendar.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Eve Kemple is prosecuting the case.
Defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless they are convicted.
The Hawk, aka Jayhawk Cafe, sent out a statement to media on Monday. The bar was closed Saturday; it is normally open Wednesdays through Saturdays, according to its website, but it plans to reopen Thursday, per a post on its social media.
“Our thoughts are with the individuals who were harmed, their families and loved ones, and all those affected,” the statement read. “We are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation. The safety of our guests and staff remains our top priority, and we appreciate the quick response from first responders. We thank our community for its support.”
Note: This article has been corrected from a previous version.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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Teens accused in Hawk shooting appear in court; one seeking immunity
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Teens accused in Hawk shooting appear in court; one seeking immunity
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