photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence police conduct interviews after a shooting at The Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

Updated at 4:35 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026

Two 18-year-olds have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a shooting early Saturday morning at the Jayhawk Cafe killed an 18-year-old and critically injured a 16-year-old.

One suspect — Daitron Lamont Daniels Strickland, of Shawnee — was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault, according to the Douglas County Jail booking log. A second suspect — Caiden Carl Ralph Clem, of Atchison — was arrested on suspicion of felony murder and aggravated assault. Both suspects are 18.

The shooting happened around closing time at the Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St. Police were called to the popular college bar, known locally as The Hawk, just after 1:50 a.m. on reports of two people having been shot. At the scene, officers found two victims with gunshot wounds, reportedly on the patio of the main westside entrance of The Hawk. Several witnesses described the suspects and said they had fled the scene. Law enforcement located them a few blocks away, police said in a news release.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence police conduct interviews after a shooting at The Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

One person, an 18-year-old male, died at the scene, and a second, a 16-year-old boy, was rushed by ambulance to LMH Health in critical condition. The families have been notified, but police are waiting “at least 24 hours” to release the names of the shooting victims. They are both believed to have addresses outside of Lawrence.

A radio report from the ambulance to the hospital stated that the critically injured boy had a single gunshot wound to the left chest with no exit wound. He was reportedly conscious and alert when transported at 2 a.m.

By 2:30 a.m., an ambulance was called to LMH Health to take the boy to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. The updated report from that ambulance to Children’s Mercy called him “stable.” He could also be heard talking in the background of the report, according to Operation 100 News, the Journal-World’s reporting partner.

The suspects were taken to police headquarters for questioning, and the two were subsequently booked into the Douglas County Jail, where they remained without bond.

On Saturday afternoon, Major Hayden Fowler with LPD’s Patrol Division gave a 3-minute statement at police headquarters but did not take questions.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Major Hayden Fowler gives a statement about the shootings at the Jayhawk Cafe that killed one teen and critically injured another on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at Lawrence Police Department headquarters.

Fowler said a patrol officer in the area of the bar who was working a traffic incident on the icy streets heard what he believed to be gunfire, and as he was responding, a report of gunfire at The Hawk came over dispatch.

Officers began immediately performing life-saving measures on the two who had been shot, Fowler said, but the older victim had died at the scene and the younger one was taken to the hospital.

Fowler said the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and University of Kansas police worked with LPD officers to get suspect descriptions and to quickly apprehend the pair “without incident.” He described the law enforcement response to the chaotic scene following the “senseless act” as “heroic.”

Police dogs and the sheriff’s drone team were “instrumental” in “the successful capture of these criminals,” Fowler said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

“When criminals come to Lawrence, Kansas, to perpetrate their crimes, they should know that the Lawrence Police Department will work quickly and decisively to bring them to justice,” Fowler said.

“Our hearts pour out to those people affected by this incident,” he said.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence police conduct interviews after a shooting at The Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence police conduct interviews after a shooting at The Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence police investigate after a shooting at The Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

— Operation 100 News contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This story has been revised to correct the ages of the suspects. They are both 18.