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2021 Denver and Lakewood shootings

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On December 27, 2021, a mass shooting occurred in downtown Denver and later moved to Lakewood, Colorado, United States where 47-year-old Lyndon McLeod fatally shot five people and wounded two others.[1] McLeod was fatally shot by Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris, after the two exchanged gunfire.[2]

2021 Denver and Lakewood shootings
LocationDenver, Colorado, U.S.
Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.
Coordinates39°43′2.424″N 104°49′14.632″W / 39.71734000°N 104.82073111°W / 39.71734000; -104.82073111
DateDecember 27, 2021 (2021-12-27)
c. 5:25 p.m. – 6:12 p.m. (UTC-6)
Attack type
Mass shooting, spree shooting, mass murder
WeaponsFirearms:
Deaths6 (including the perpetrator)
Injured2
PerpetratorLyndon James McLeod
(pen name Roman McClay)
DefenderOfficer Ashley Ferris

McLeod held extremist and misogynistic views and was investigated by Denver police in 2020 and 2021, but did not have any charges filed against him.[3]

Shooting and police response

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Denver

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At 5:25 p.m. Denver Police received 911 calls that reported a shooting inside of a local business, Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing. When police officers arrived at Sol Tribe Tattoo, they found two women shot dead. The dead included the shop's owner, Alicia Cardenas, and Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado.[4] Jimmy Maldonado was the third person shot by McLeod in Sol Tribe Tattoo. He was shot in the neck and shoulder, and survived after being hospitalized.[5]

At 5:31 pm. Denver Police were notified of a home burglary, a couple blocks away from Sol Tribe Tattoo. McLeod had fired shots during the burglary, but no one was injured.

Around 5:45 pm. McLeod shot and killed Michael Swinyard inside of a home located near Cheesman Park. The police pronounced Swinyard dead at the scene.[6] Denver police were able to get a description of McLeod's van as he fled the scene and shared it with neighboring police departments.[4]

At 5:49 p.m. on the intersection of 8th Avenue and Zuni Street, McLeod and a Denver police officer exchanged fire. The officer's police car was disabled during the gunfire, but no one was injured. McLeod was able to flee to Lakewood. This was the last event that took place in the City of Denver.[6]

Lakewood

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Later, McLeod entered the Lucky 13 Tattoo shop and fired a whole magazine, killing Danny Schofield, a tattoo artist working there. Not even ten seconds later, McLeod left the shop. He then travelled to the Ted's Montana Grill in the BelMart shopping district, where he forced his way behind the counter and poured himself a drink. When a staff member confronted him, McLeod threatened him with a pistol, yelling "Guess who's in charge? It ain't you, bitch!" McLeod then left without shooting anyone.

Police officers spotted McLeod's van near the Wells Fargo bank and spotted McLeod himself leaving Ted's nearby. A gunfight ensued, but no one was hit. McLeod fled to the Hyatt House Hotel, where he got into a short argument with the desk clerk, Sarah Steck, before fatally shooting her and leaving in less than thirty seconds.

One minute after killing Steck, McLeod encountered Lakewood police officer Ashley Ferris, who ordered McLeod to drop his weapon. McLeod instead shot Ferris in the abdomen, the bullet going all the way through and damaging her sciatic nerve and paralyzing her in her right leg. On the ground, Ferris returned fire, shooting McLeod in the side. McLeod attempted to run, but collapsed behind Ferris' patrol car. Forty seconds later, another officer arrived to pull Ferris to safety. Three other officers surrounded the downed McLeod, who rolled onto his back from his side. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the autopsy report, the shooter was shot in the chest, right thigh, and left foot. The single bullet to his chest was the fatal wound.[7][8]

Searching McLeod's van, police discovered an arsenal of weapons and ammunition, as well as his tactical gear, motorcycle, and two sets of handcuffs.

Victims

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The five victims killed[9] included three women: Sarah Steck, 28, Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, 35, and Alicia Cardenas, 44; and two men: Danny Schofield, 38 and Michael Swinyard, 67.[10][11] McLeod had previously known all of his victims through the Denver tattoo scene, except for Steck, who was working at the Hyatt House hotel McLeod initially fled to.[12]

The injured included Jimmy Maldonado, the husband of Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado. Jimmy Maldonado was shot twice, once through his collarbone and once through the top of a lung. Maldonado was the only survivor of the three people shot at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing.[13] The second person injured was Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris. Ferris was shot by McLeod, in the abdomen. Ferris was able to return fire from the ground, striking and killing McLeod. Ferris was a three-year veteran at the time of the shooting.[2]

Perpetrator

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Lyndon James McLeod, also known as Roman McClay (January 7, 1974 — December 27, 2021), was an American author living in Denver, Colorado.

McLeod wrote and self-published a trilogy of novels under the pen name, Roman McClay, titled Sanction. The plot involves a man, named Lyndon McLeod, who murders 46 people due to the double-crossing and pettiness he faces. The book contains threats to Ben Shapiro, Sam Harris, Black Lives Matter, and several of his real-life victims.[14][15] McLeod self-published the books and they were available on Amazon before being taken down two days after the shooting.[16]

McLeod was a fan of the far-right internet personality, Bronze Age Pervert. McLeod frequently interacted with Bronze Age Pervert's Twitter account, sharing photos and quotes of the book, Bronze Age Mindset.[17] Zuby, a right-wing rapper, hosted McLeod on his podcast and promoted McLeod's books.[18]

Aftermath

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On December 29, 2021, a memorial was held outside Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing to honor the victims of the shooting. Family members and community members lit candles and laid memorials down at foot of the storefront.[19]

Ashley Ferris the Lakewood police officer who shot and killed McLeod after sustaining a bullet from McLeod's gun, was named the Officer of the Month for June by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The Lakewood Police Department awarded Ferris the Purple Heart and Medal of Distinguished Service.[20]

In November 2022, the Chicano Murals of Colorado Project released a documentary called These Storied Walls as a tribute to Alicia Cardenas.[21] Parts of the documentary, featuring Cardenas, were filmed five weeks before the shooting took place in December 2021.[22] In October 2022, Cardenas was featured in a special exhibit at the History Colorado Center, called The Return of the Corn Mother's Exhibit.[23] Several murals of Cardenas were painted around Denver, by her friends and other artists.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Sutton, Joe; Levenson, Eric; Vera, Amir; Alvarado, Caroll (December 29, 2021). "A gunman killed 5 people and wounded others in a shooting spree across the Denver area, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Isenberg, Sydney (December 30, 2021). "Lakewood police identify hero officer who shot, killed gunman in Denver-Lakewood mass shooting". Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH). Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Garger, Kenneth (December 28, 2021). "Denver shooting spree suspect Lyndon McLeod harbored extremist views: report". New York Post. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Powell, Erin (December 29, 2021). "Timeline: How shooting spree unfolded from Denver to Lakewood". 9News Denver. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  5. ^ McKinley, Carol (December 29, 2021). "Jimmy Maldonado, victim in Denver shooting rampage, 'knows his life is changed forever'". The Gazette. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  6. ^ a b O'Donnell, Sean; Ivy, Jenny (December 29, 2021). "Timeline: How a shooting rampage in Denver and Lakewood left 5 dead". FOX 31 Denver. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  7. ^ "Shooting spree suspect shot and killed by Lakewood officer, autopsy confirms". KUSA.com. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  8. ^ carol.mckinley@gazette.com, Carol McKinley (2022-04-12). "Autopsy report on tattoo parlor shooter confirms heroics of Lakewood police officer". Denver Gazette. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  9. ^ Bryant, Miranda (December 29, 2021). "Denver gunman who killed five in shooting rampage knew victims". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  10. ^ Schmelzer, Elise; Aguilar, John; Bradbury, Shelly (December 28, 2021). "Police identify 47-year-old man who killed 5 people, injured 2 others in Lakewood, Denver shooting spree". Denver Post. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Police: Lyndon McLeod Knew 4 Of 5 Victims Killed In Shooting Spree, Was 'On The Radar'". CBS Colorado. December 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  12. ^ McLaughlin, Eliott; Sutton, Joe; Kafanov, Lucy; Vera, Amir; Killough, Ashley (December 30, 2021). "Denver shooting suspect wrote about a murderous rampage in a series of books under a pseudonym". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  13. ^ Garcia, Nelson (January 11, 2022). "Denver shooting spree victim talks about loss, recovery". 9News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  14. ^ Gruver, Mead (December 30, 2021). "Denver Shootings Suspect Wrote Books Previewing Attacks". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Hajjaji, Danya (December 29, 2021). "Denver Shooting Suspect Lyndon McLeod Glorified Guns and Misogyny: 'War is Coming'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Hajjaji, Danya (2021-12-31). "Denver Shooting Suspect Lyndon McLeod's Books Disappear From Amazon". Newsweek. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  17. ^ Burley, Shane; Ross, Alexander Reid (January 6, 2022). "How the Denver Shooter's Digital Trail Exposes the Violent Fantasies of the 'Manosphere'". Bellingcat. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "Denver gunman left behind digital trail of violent alt-right hate: Reports". Fox 13 Salt Lake City. December 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "'This World Is Just So Cruel': Family Gathers To Honor Alyssa & Jimmy Maldonado". CBS Colorado. December 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  20. ^ Campbell-Hicks, Jennifer (July 21, 2022). "Lakewood officer who stopped shooting spree gets national honor". 9News Denver. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  21. ^ Rascón, Arvida (2022-11-24). "These Storied Walls: Chicano Community Murals of Colorado". KUVO. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  22. ^ Alejo, Anna (2022-12-27). "New works honor artist Alicia Cardenas who was murdered in 2021 Denver shooting spree". CBS Colorado. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  23. ^ Lopez, Kristian (2022-10-28). "Denver mass shooting victim, Alicia Cardenas, honored as part of special exhibit at History Colorado Center". ABC Colorado. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  24. ^ Ferguson, Emily (December 27, 2023). "A Year of Grief: Denver's Tattoo Store Shootings". Westword. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
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