Lyndon James McLeod

Lyndon James McLeod was born on January 7, 1974, in the United States. According to his own writings, he spent portions of his childhood moving frequently due to a parent’s military service and lived overseas for a time before attending high school in Ohio. In his mid-twenties, McLeod briefly joined the Zendik Farm commune, leaving the group in 1999.

By the mid-2000s, McLeod had settled in the Denver, Colorado area, where he became involved in cannabis cultivation and later attempted to establish himself within the local tattoo industry. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to felony menacing after threatening two coworkers with a firearm at a medical marijuana facility. The conviction was later dismissed following completion of a deferred sentence and probation.

Between 2013 and 2015, McLeod co-owned a tattoo business operating under the names All Heart Industries and Flat Black Ink Corp. at a location later occupied by Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing. Despite owning the business, McLeod was never licensed as a tattoo artist or tattoo shop owner. Former associates described him as confrontational, and the business ultimately failed. Several personal and professional relationships deteriorated during this period, including with tattoo artists and business partners he later blamed for his lack of success.

After leaving the tattoo industry, McLeod purchased property in a mountainous area outside Denver, where he lived in isolation. Between 2018 and 2020, he wrote and self-published a lengthy science fiction trilogy titled Sanction under the pen name Roman McClay. The novels contained fictionalized versions of real people in his life, including individuals he later targeted during the shooting spree. Law enforcement later confirmed that some real names and addresses appeared in the books.

McLeod expressed extremist, misogynistic, and hyper-masculinist views in his writings, online posts, and podcast appearances. He was questioned by federal and local authorities in 2020 and 2021 after making threatening statements online, including threats against other authors. Despite these investigations, no criminal charges were filed prior to December 2021. Family members later stated that McLeod had been estranged from them for years.

On December 27, 2021, Lyndon McLeod carried out a coordinated shooting spree across Denver and Lakewood, Colorado.

At approximately 5:25 p.m., Denver police responded to reports of gunfire at Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing in downtown Denver. Inside the shop, officers found the owner, Alicia Cardenas, age 44, and employee Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, age 35, fatally shot. Another employee, Jimmy Maldonado, was shot in the neck and shoulder but survived after emergency medical treatment.

Shortly afterward, police were alerted to a nearby attempted home invasion. McLeod had posed as a delivery driver while attempting to enter the apartment of tattoo artist Jeremy Costilow. When access was denied, he returned with a sledgehammer, fired shots through the door and walls, and later entered the apartment after the residents fled with their child. McLeod vandalized the interior and set a vehicle on fire before leaving the scene.

At approximately 5:45 p.m., McLeod shot and killed 67-year-old Michael Swinyard at Swinyard’s residence near Cheesman Park. Denver police obtained a description of McLeod’s van and broadcast it to surrounding jurisdictions.

Minutes later, McLeod exchanged gunfire with a Denver police officer near 8th Avenue and Zuni Street. The officer’s vehicle was disabled, but no injuries were reported. McLeod then fled Denver and continued west into Lakewood.

At 5:58 p.m., McLeod entered Lucky 13 Tattoo Parlor in Lakewood and fatally shot 38-year-old tattoo artist Danny Scofield. He then traveled to the Belmar shopping district, briefly entering a restaurant and threatening staff with a firearm before leaving without further violence.

At approximately 6:10 p.m., McLeod arrived at the Hyatt House Hotel, where he fatally shot desk clerk Sarah Steck, age 28, after a brief confrontation. Steck had been filling in for a coworker and was not scheduled to work that shift.

Around 6:15 p.m., Lakewood police officer Ashley Ferris confronted McLeod and ordered him to drop his weapon. McLeod instead shot Ferris in the abdomen, causing severe injuries. From the ground, Ferris returned fire, striking McLeod multiple times. McLeod attempted to flee but collapsed behind the patrol vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy determined that McLeod died from a gunshot wound to the chest. A search of his vehicle revealed multiple firearms, large quantities of ammunition, tactical gear, and restraints.

The shooting spree resulted in five deaths and multiple injuries and concluded with McLeod’s death during a police confrontation. Memorials were later held across Denver and Lakewood to honor the victims.