Denver shootings suspect wrote books previewing attacks

DENVER – A antheral accused of sidesplitting 5 radical successful a rampage successful Denver is believed to person written fictional books self-published online that named immoderate of his real-life victims and described akin attacks.

The writings are portion of the probe into what led Lyndon James McLeod to transportation retired the shootings, which took spot successful little than an hr Monday astatine respective locations astir the metro area, Denver constabulary spokesperson Doug Schepman said Wednesday.

McLeod, 47, knew astir of the radical helium changeable done concern oregon idiosyncratic relationships, constabulary person said. Four of those changeable were attacked astatine tattoo shops. In summation to those killed, 2 different radical were wounded, including a constabulary serviceman who changeable and killed McLeod aft being hit.

In the archetypal novel, written nether a pen sanction of Roman McClay, a quality named Lyndon stalks a poker enactment held by a quality named “Michael Swinyard” and gains entree to a gathering adjacent Cheesman Park by posing arsenic a constabulary officer. He past fatally shoots everyone astatine the enactment and robs them earlier fleeing with his canine successful a van.

Ad

In Monday's attack, Michael Swinyard, 67, was fatally changeable astatine a location adjacent Denver’s Cheesman Park, constabulary said.

In his 2nd novel, which besides features a quality named Lyndon, McClay names Alicia Cardenas arsenic a victim. The publication besides mentions the tattoo store she owned, Sol Tribe.

Alicia Cardenas, a 44-year-old tattoo artist, was among his archetypal victims successful Monday's rampage. She was killed astatine her tattoo shop, on with different woman, Alyssa Gunn, 35. A antheral who was besides wounded determination is expected to survive, constabulary said. He was identified by friends and customers arsenic Gunn’s husband, James Maldonado, a piercer there.

That store is little than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from a tattoo store that McLeod was listed arsenic the lease holder for betwixt 2014 and 2016. Cardenas aboriginal took it implicit earlier moving the store to its existent spot, metropolis records show.

McLeod was not licensed to enactment arsenic a tattoo creator oregon run a tattoo concern himself successful Denver according to metropolis records, a spokesperson for Denver’s licensing agency, Eric Escudero, said Wednesday.

Ad

Cardenas, whose girl is 12 years old, described herself arsenic a “proud Indigenous artist” who besides painted murals.

Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said during a quality league Tuesday that McLeod was connected the radar of instrumentality enforcement and had been investigated successful some 2020 and 2021. He declined to accidental what McLeod was investigated for but said charges were not filed against him.

Matt Clark, commandant of the Denver Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, said McLeod knew astir of the radical helium targeted but not the past idiosyncratic helium changeable — a clerk successful a edifice successful Lakewood's Belmar buying area. However, McLeod had had immoderate dealings with the hotel, Clark said.

The edifice clerk, 28-year-old Sarah Steck, died of her injuries Tuesday.

Steck graduated this twelvemonth from Metropolitan State University with a bachelor’s grade of good creation successful connection design. She was known among her co-workers astatine the edifice for her infectious laughter and emotion of kittens, creation and music, The Denver Post reported.

Ad

Soon aft the shooting astatine Cardenas' shop, McLeod forced his mode into a residence that is besides location to a business. City records amusement it is licensed arsenic a tattoo shop. He pursued the occupants done the gathering and fired shots, but nary 1 was injured, Clark said. Then helium changeable and killed Swinyard adjacent Cheesman Park, Clark said.

Later, Denver constabulary chased the conveyance believed to person been progressive successful the shootings, and an serviceman exchanged gunfire with McLeod, Clark said. McLeod was capable to get away, fleeing into Lakewood, aft gunfire disabled the officer's cruiser, helium said.

Just earlier 6 p.m., the Lakewood Police Department received a study of shots fired astatine the Lucky 13 tattoo shop. Danny Scofield, 38, was killed there, Lakewood constabulary spokesperson John Romero said.

Scofield was a begetter of three, according to a tract raising wealth for his family.

When officers spotted the car suspected of being progressive successful the shooting astatine the Belmar buying country — wherever shops enactment sidewalks successful a modern mentation of a downtown — McLeod opened occurrence and officers changeable back, Romero said. He ran distant and allegedly threatened immoderate radical successful a edifice with a weapon earlier going to the Hyatt House hotel, wherever helium spoke concisely with Steck, earlier shooting her, helium said.

Ad

About a infinitesimal later, Lakewood constabulary serviceman Ashley Ferris saw McLeod and ordered him to driblet his weapon. She was changeable successful the abdomen but fired backmost and killed the gunman.

Ferris underwent country Monday nighttime and is expected to marque a afloat recovery.

“I can't overemphasize capable the heroic actions of our Lakewood constabulary agent," Romero said during a quality league Tuesday. "In the look of being shot, successful the look of danger, she was capable to not lone prevention others from this unspeakable calamity but besides neutralize the threat.”

___

Associated Press writer Mead Gruver contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.