On December 27, 2021, Lyndon McLeod fatally shot five people and wounded two others in a rampage spanning Denver and Lakewood, Colorado, before being killed by Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris, whom he had wounded during their exchange of gunfire.
On December 27, 2021, a mass shooting began in downtown Denver, Colorado, and moved to nearby Lakewood. The perpetrator, 47-year-old Lyndon McLeod, fatally shot five people and wounded two others before being fatally shot by Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris, who was herself wounded in the exchange.
The shootings began around 5:25 p.m. at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing in Denver, where McLeod killed shop owner Alicia Cardenas and employee Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, and wounded another employee, Jimmy Maldonado (Gunn-Maldonado's husband). McLeod then attempted to force his way into the apartment of tattoo artist Jeremy Costilow, posing as a delivery man; Costilow and his girlfriend fled with their child before McLeod broke in with a sledgehammer, fired shots, and set their van on fire. Around 5:45 p.m., McLeod shot and killed building contractor Michael Swinyard near Cheesman Park. Shortly after, he exchanged fire with a Denver police officer, disabling the officer's patrol car, and fled toward Lakewood.
In Lakewood, McLeod entered the Lucky 13 Tattoo Parlor around 5:58 p.m. and killed tattoo artist Danny Scofield. He then went to a Ted's Montana Grill, where he threatened a staff member at gunpoint but did not shoot anyone, before exchanging gunfire with police near a Wells Fargo bank. Around 6:10 p.m., he entered the Hyatt House Hotel and fatally shot desk clerk Sarah Steck, who was filling in for a sick colleague and had no prior connection to McLeod. Around 6:15 p.m., McLeod encountered Officer Ashley Ferris; after a brief verbal exchange, McLeod shot Ferris in the abdomen, paralyzing her right leg, but she returned fire from the ground, hitting him three times. McLeod was pronounced dead at the scene.
McLeod had known most of his victims through Denver's tattoo and cannabis business scenes, and had a history of business disputes and personal grievances against several of them. Between 2018 and 2020, he self-published a three-volume science fiction novel titled "Sanction" under the pen name Roman McClay, in which a character based on himself murdered fictionalized versions of several people he later killed in real life, including named real addresses. McLeod had espoused misogynistic and extremist views associated with parts of the "manosphere" online community, and had been investigated by law enforcement, including the FBI, in 2020 and 2021, but no charges had been filed against him prior to the shootings.
In the aftermath, Ferris was honored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and awarded the Purple Heart and Medal of Distinguished Service by the Lakewood Police Department. Community memorials were held for the victims, and Cardenas was later honored through a documentary and a museum exhibit.
Alicia Cardenas, Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, Danny Scofield, Jimmy Maldonado, Sarah Steck, Michael Swinyard
Date
2021
Location
Denver and Lakewood, Colorado
Case status
solved
Case timeline
2021-12-27
McLeod shoots and kills Alicia Cardenas and Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, and wounds Jimmy Maldonado, at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing in Denver at approximately 5:25 p.m.
2021-12-27
McLeod attempts to force entry into tattoo artist Jeremy Costilow's apartment, fires shots, and sets Costilow's van on fire after Costilow and his family flee.
2021-12-27
McLeod shoots and kills building contractor Michael Swinyard near Cheesman Park in Denver at approximately 5:45 p.m.
2021-12-27
McLeod exchanges gunfire with a Denver police officer at 8th Avenue and Zuni Street at approximately 5:50 p.m., disabling the officer's patrol car, then flees to Lakewood.
2021-12-27
McLeod shoots and kills tattoo artist Danny Scofield at Lucky 13 Tattoo Parlor in Lakewood at approximately 5:58 p.m.
2021-12-27
McLeod threatens a staff member at Ted's Montana Grill in Lakewood's Belmar shopping district at gunpoint but does not shoot anyone.
2021-12-27
McLeod exchanges gunfire with police near a Wells Fargo bank in Lakewood; no one is hit.
2021-12-27
McLeod fatally shoots hotel desk clerk Sarah Steck at the Hyatt House Hotel in Lakewood at approximately 6:10 p.m.
2021-12-27
McLeod shoots and wounds Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris at approximately 6:15 p.m.; Ferris returns fire, fatally wounding McLeod, who is pronounced dead at the scene.
2021-12-29
A memorial is held outside Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing to honor the victims.
2022-11
The Chicano Murals of Colorado Project releases a documentary titled 'These Storied Walls' as a tribute to Alicia Cardenas.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Coffeehouse Crime / 25 min
The Killer "Alpha Male" | The Case of Lyndon Mcleod
People
Alicia Cardenas
VICTIM
Owner of Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing; killed by McLeod in Denver
Lyndon McLeod
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Perpetrator; fatally shot by police at the scene and therefore never charged or convicted; listed here only to satisfy role requirements is incorrect
Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado
VICTIM
Employee at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing; killed by McLeod in Denver
Danny Scofield
VICTIM
Tattoo artist; killed by McLeod at Lucky 13 Tattoo Parlor in Lakewood
Jimmy Maldonado
VICTIM
Employee at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing; wounded by McLeod and survived
Sarah Steck
VICTIM
Hotel desk clerk; killed by McLeod at the Hyatt House Hotel in Lakewood
Ashley Ferris
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Lakewood Police Agent who was wounded by McLeod and fatally shot him in an exchange of gunfire
Michael Swinyard
VICTIM
Building contractor; killed by McLeod near Cheesman Park in Denver
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
On December 27, 2021, Lyndon McLeod fatally shot five people and wounded two others in a rampage spanning Denver and Lakewood, Colorado, before being killed by Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris, whom he had wounded during their exchange of gunfire.
When a file you follow changes — a new development, a correction, fresh coverage — the Dispatch is how you hear about it.
The Casepin Dispatch
A calm weekly briefing from the archive — one case worth understanding, meaningful updates to files you follow, and the best new coverage. You’ll also get the one-time note when the apps land. No gore, no rumor, no drip.
