2021 Denver and Lakewood shootings explained

2021 Denver and Lakewood shootings
Location:Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.
Coordinates:39.7173°N -104.8207°W
Time-Begin:c. 5:25 p.m.
Time-End:6:12 p.m.
Timezone:UTC-6
Type:Mass shooting, spree shooting, mass murder
Fatalities:6 (including the perpetrator)
Injuries:2
Weapons:Firearms:
Perpetrator:Lyndon James McLeod
(pen name Roman McClay)
Dfen:Officer Ashley Ferris

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] 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

Denver

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.

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.

Lakewood

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.

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

The five victims killed[7] included three women: Sarah Steck, 28, Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, 35, and Alicia Cardenas, 44; and two men: Danny Schofield, 38 and Michael Swinyard, 67.[8] [9] 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.[10]

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.[11] 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.

Perpetrator

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.[12] [13] McLeod self-published the books and they were available on Amazon before being taken down two days after the shooting.[14]

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.[15] Zuby, a right-wing rapper, hosted McLeod on his podcast and promoted McLeod's books.[16]

Aftermath

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.[17]

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.[18]

In November 2022, the Chicano Murals of Colorado Project released a documentary called These Storied Walls as a tribute to Alicia Cardenas.[19] Parts of the documentary, featuring Cardenas, were filmed 5 weeks before the shooting took place in December 2021.[20] In October 2022, Cardenas was featured in a special exhibit at the History Colorado Center, called The Return of the Corn Mother's Exhibit.[21] Several murals of Cardenas were painted around Denver, by her friends and other artists.[22]

Notes and References

  1. News: 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 . live . https://archive.today/20230524035955/https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/28/us/denver-shooting-officer-injured/index.html . May 24, 2023 . May 24, 2023 . CNN.
  2. News: Isenberg . Sydney . December 30, 2021 . Lakewood police identify hero officer who shot, killed gunman in Denver-Lakewood mass shooting . live . https://archive.today/20230524185902/https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/lakewood-police-identify-hero-officer-who-shot-killed-gunman-in-denver-lakewood-mass-shooting . May 24, 2023 . May 24, 2023 . . en.
  3. News: Garger . Kenneth . December 28, 2021 . Denver shooting spree suspect Lyndon McLeod harbored extremist views: report . live . https://archive.today/20211229075854/https://nypost.com/2021/12/28/denver-shooting-spree-suspect-lyndon-mcleod-identified/ . December 29, 2021 . May 24, 2023 . New York Post.
  4. News: Powell . Erin . December 29, 2021 . Timeline: How shooting spree unfolded from Denver to Lakewood . live . https://archive.today/20230526164300/https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/timeline-mcleod-denver-lakewood-shooting-tattoo/73-7ba1e7b6-ef60-448f-80b9-4cac3bad686c . May 26, 2023 . May 26, 2023 . 9News Denver.
  5. News: McKinley . Carol . December 29, 2021 . Jimmy Maldonado, victim in Denver shooting rampage, 'knows his life is changed forever' . live . https://archive.today/20230526210800/https://gazette.com/news/jimmy-maldonado-victim-in-denver-shooting-rampage-knows-his-life-is-changed-forever/article_0ad12800-68f0-11ec-99e5-fbc0993af2c9.html . May 26, 2023 . May 26, 2023 . The Gazette.
  6. News: O'Donnell . Sean . Ivy . Jenny . December 29, 2021 . Timeline: How a shooting rampage in Denver and Lakewood left 5 dead . live . https://archive.today/20230526205958/https://kdvr.com/news/local/timeline-shooting-spree-leaves-5-dead/ . May 26, 2023 . May 26, 2023 . FOX 31 Denver.
  7. News: Bryant . Miranda . December 29, 2021 . Denver gunman who killed five in shooting rampage knew victims . live . https://archive.today/20211230020357/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/29/denver-gunman-lyndon-james-mcleod-who-killed-five-in-shooting-rampage-knew-victims . December 30, 2021 . May 24, 2023 . The Guardian.
  8. News: 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 . live . https://archive.today/20211228232019/https://www.denverpost.com/2021/12/28/denver-lakewood-shooting-spree-suspect-locations-victims/ . December 28, 2021 . May 24, 2023 . Denver Post.
  9. News: December 29, 2021 . Police: Lyndon McLeod Knew 4 Of 5 Victims Killed In Shooting Spree, Was 'On The Radar' . live . https://archive.today/20230524184849/https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/lyndon-mcleod-knew-victims-killed-in-shooting-spree-radar-law-enforcement/ . May 24, 2023 . May 24, 2023 . CBS Colorado.
  10. News: 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 . https://archive.today/20220212210448/https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/29/us/denver-shooting-spree-wednesday/index.html . February 12, 2022 . May 25, 2023 . CNN.
  11. News: Garcia . Nelson . January 11, 2022 . Denver shooting spree victim talks about loss, recovery . live . https://archive.today/20230524183532/https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/shooting-spree-victim-talks-about-loss-recovery-jimmy-maldonado-alyssa-gunn-alicia-cardenas/73-171e81ce-6394-4f9f-96cc-626cf7ee2c78 . May 24, 2023 . May 24, 2023 . 9News.
  12. News: Gruver . Mead . December 30, 2021 . Denver Shootings Suspect Wrote Books Previewing Attacks . live . https://archive.today/20230525230702/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-30/denver-shootings-suspect-wrote-books-previewing-attacks#selection-3593.0-3593.17 . May 25, 2023 . May 25, 2023 . Bloomberg News.
  13. Hajjaji . Danya . December 29, 2021 . Denver Shooting Suspect Lyndon McLeod Glorified Guns and Misogyny: 'War is Coming' . live . https://archive.today/20211229183344/https://www.newsweek.com/denver-shooter-lyndon-mcleod-guns-misogyny-social-media-1663930 . December 29, 2021 . May 25, 2023 . Newsweek.
  14. Hajjaji . Danya . 2021-12-31 . Denver Shooting Suspect Lyndon McLeod's Books Disappear From Amazon . 2023-05-31 . Newsweek . en.
  15. News: Burley . Shane . Ross . Alexander Reid . January 6, 2022 . How the Denver Shooter's Digital Trail Exposes the Violent Fantasies of the 'Manosphere' . live . https://archive.today/20220714105711/https://www.bellingcat.com/news/americas/2022/01/06/how-the-denver-shooters-digital-trail-exposes-the-violent-fantasies-of-the-manosphere/ . July 14, 2022 . May 24, 2023 . Bellingcat.
  16. News: December 29, 2021 . Denver gunman left behind digital trail of violent alt-right hate: Reports . live . https://archive.today/20230525034158/https://www.fox13now.com/news/national-news/denver-gunman-left-behind-digital-trail-of-violent-alt-right-hate-reports . May 25, 2023 . May 24, 2023 . Fox 13 Salt Lake City.
  17. News: December 29, 2021 . 'This World Is Just So Cruel': Family Gathers To Honor Alyssa & Jimmy Maldonado . live . https://archive.today/20230526211556/https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/alyssa-jimmy-maldonado-denver-shooting-spree/ . May 26, 2023 . May 26, 2023 . CBS Colorado.
  18. News: Campbell-Hicks . Jennifer . July 21, 2022 . Lakewood officer who stopped shooting spree gets national honor . live . https://archive.today/20230525174631/https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/lakewood-officer-ashley-ferris-national-honor/73-024a955d-8310-4aac-8d5d-417a8e94f354 . May 25, 2023 . May 25, 2023 . 9News Denver.
  19. News: Rascón . Arvida . 2022-11-24 . These Storied Walls: Chicano Community Murals of Colorado . 2023-05-29 . KUVO . en-US.
  20. News: Alejo . Anna . 2022-12-27 . New works honor artist Alicia Cardenas who was murdered in 2021 Denver shooting spree . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230529232725/https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/alicia-cardenas-artist-murdered-honored-colorado-2021-shooting-spree/ . May 29, 2023 . 2023-05-29 . . en-US.
  21. News: Lopez . Kristian . 2022-10-28 . Denver mass shooting victim, Alicia Cardenas, honored as part of special exhibit at History Colorado Center . live . https://archive.today/20230529232912/https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/denver-mass-shooting-victim-alicia-cardenas-honored-as-part-of-special-exhibit-at-history-colorado-center . May 29, 2023 . 2023-05-29 . . en.
  22. Ferguson . Emily . December 27, 2023 . A Year of Grief: Denver's Tattoo Store Shootings . live . https://archive.today/20230529233049/https://www.westword.com/arts/a-year-of-grief-denvers-tattoo-store-shootings-15792227 . May 29, 2023 . 2023-05-29 . Westword . en.

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