A fifth sufferer has died after a gunman repeatedly escaped police capture and carried out what authorities described Tuesday as a violent, focused rampage throughout the Denver metro space.
Sarah Steck, 28, died Tuesday at an area hospital. Steck was a clerk on the Hyatt Home, a resort in suburban Denver, Lakewood police spokesman John Romero mentioned at a information convention.
The Lakewood police agent who fatally shot the gunman after he wounded her with gunfire was secure in a hospital, Romero mentioned.
Authorities publicly recognized the suspect Tuesday as Lyndon James McLeod, 47.
Based mostly on a preliminary probe, investigators decided that the suspect was “concentrating on particular folks,” Denver Police Cmdr. Matt Clark mentioned.
It wasn’t clear why McLeod shot Steck, though he could have had “some problem” with the resort, Clark mentioned.
In a written assertion, the resort’s common supervisor, Andra Alvarez, did not say what McLeod’s connection to the Hyatt Home might be. The resort is suspending operations to permit employees to mourn, she mentioned.
“Colleagues and friends knew Sarah for her infectious snort and her love of kittens, artwork and music — particularly Blink-182,” Alvarez mentioned. “However most of all, Sarah beloved her boyfriend, household and buddies. We’ll miss her terribly.”
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen mentioned McLeod was “on the radar” of regulation enforcement and had been investigated twice — as soon as in mid-2020 and once more this yr. Neither inquiry led to state or legal fees, and Pazen declined to offer extra particulars concerning the investigations or what led to them.
Pazen added {that a} motive in what he referred to as a “violent crime spree” remained unclear.
The rampage started shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, when two ladies have been fatally shot and a person was injured in a enterprise close to downtown Denver, Clark mentioned. Officers haven’t recognized the victims. NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver reported that the enterprise was the Sol Tribe tattoo store.
Clark mentioned McLeod then broke into a close-by dwelling and enterprise and opened hearth on residents; nobody was injured. After he torched a van in an alley behind the constructing, McLeod fatally shot a person inside a house just a few miles away, Clark mentioned.
The person has not been recognized.
A police pursuit and gunfight with McLeod, who was driving a black Ford Econoline van, adopted, Clark mentioned. McLeod “disabled” the officers’ car and fled on Interstate 25 towards Lakewood, about 8 miles west of Denver.
Simply earlier than 6 p.m., McLeod opened hearth contained in the Fortunate 13 tattoo store in Lakewood. Danny Scofield, 38, was fatally shot, Romero mentioned.
“You have been my Brother an superior human being, an incredible Father, Son and Brother,” a post on the shop’s Facebook page mentioned Tuesday, including that Scofield — generally known as Dano Blair — and others have been “senselessly murdered.”
McLeod escaped Lakewood police who noticed him close to a Wells Fargo financial institution, Romero mentioned. Six minutes later, he was seen strolling into the Hyatt Home and opening hearth after a quick dialog with Steck, authorities mentioned.
A Lakewood police agent noticed McLeod close to the resort and ordered him to drop his weapon. McLeod began capturing, hitting the agent within the stomach, Romero mentioned.
“She was in a position to compose herself and returned hearth, placing him,” Romero mentioned.
“She took a state of affairs that was already horrendous and put herself in hurt’s solution to cease it,” he mentioned.
Romero didn’t establish the agent. He mentioned she was a three-year veteran of the power and was carrying a bulletproof vest when she was struck.
