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.

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, of Shawnee — was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault, according to the 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, they said in a news release. Several witnesses described the suspects and said they had left the scene, but police located them a few blocks away.

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 names.

Recorded radio traffic shortly after the shooting had identified the critically injured person as a high school-aged male.

At 2:30 a.m. an ambulance responded back to LMH to take the injured teen to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.

The suspects were taken to police headquarters for questioning, and the two were subsequently booked into the Douglas County Jail.

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.