Five people were killed and five others injured by the Denver gunman, who was connected to tattoos. He had published a novel that a character named after him murders tattoo artists as revenge.
Police killed Lyndon McLeod (47), a well-known extremist who had psychiatric issues and posted violent material to his social media.
Roman McClay self-published an assortment of books online between 2018 and 2020 under his pseudonym Roman McClay.
Lyndon McLeod, a character in one of the books, opens fire at a downtown Denver tattoo parlor.
McLeod, the main character, goes on a killing spree for six months, killing 46 people he had wronged throughout his life.
A character in one of his stories was also involved in a murder committed at an apartment block – similar location to where the other shootings took place.
His Instagram and Twitter accounts reveal that he harboured hateful thoughts and indulged in conspiracy theories of the alt-right.
McLeod used characters from his books as commentaries on current events. McLeod used a number of lines and characters in one example: a COVID misinformation meme that was posted on Twitter by Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and discussed ‘an injectable worm’.
Lyndon McLeod killed five Denver residents on Monday night. In a Twitter photo, he is seen with a bear that McLeod apparently shot and then killed. His social media feed was filled with guns and extreme ideology
Lyndon McLeod appears in a YouTube clip from 2020 discussing books he wrote as Roman McClay. An online reviewer said the self-published books ‘give full vent to their sexism, racism, and every other -ism kept out of mainstream discourse’
McLeod, Denver Police Chief stated, had been on the radar of officers in 2020 and 2021. But, no charges were ever brought against him. McLeod did not give any explanation for the concern.
McLeod, seen in the lower left corner of the screen, is seen entering Lucky 13 Tattoo Parlor carrying a rifle. McLeod leaves Danny Scofield’s house in less than 10 seconds.
Two women were first murdered in tattoo parlors, and then a man was shot to death in his own home. Flat Black Ink Corp, which was his previous business, in Denver, is listed as his publisher. He opened fire but nobody was hurt.
McLeod walked across town to another tattoo parlor in Lakewood and shot his fourth victim. He opened fire in the shop, before driving away 10 seconds later.
He finally went to Hyatt House Hotel and shot a clerk before being killed by the police.
McLeod lived alone in a container on top of a mountain and glorified a life without women. Flat Black Ink was declared bankrupt by the authorities in 2017.
McLeod is a former resident of a container shipping container high up on a mountain.
McLeod said he was surrounded by ‘books, guns and meat’ and none of the ‘modern bulls***’ that came with women
McLeod was known for his affection of guns. He captioned this photo with a Hunter S. Thompson quote.
McLeod shared multiple photos of his guns on social media
He said that his books were his art and an outlet for creativity.
On Amаzon, the first book in the three-part series, Sаnction, hаs dozens of five-stаr reviews, while others wаrn potentiаl reаders аbout the extreme violence in the book.
According to one online review, the trilogy was described as an “epic, visceral journey into every man’s dark heart broken by society.”
A third reviewer claimed that characters gave full vent to racism, sexism and any other -isms not included in mainstream discourse. According to The Denver Post
McLeod stated in an interview posted on YouTube, 2020, that the book is about “our masculinity” and how we interact with religion, culture, and genetics.
It was described by him on Twitter (in an account that has been dormant for six months) as “The book which philosophizes alongside a Jack-Hammer.”
“I like to see the world in threes.” In the March 2020 YouTube interview, he stated that he would look at the current world, the world below, and then the world above.
“You first have the terrestrial plane. Then you will need the sub-level. Finally, the atmosphere.
McLeod stated that he considers himself an artist first and then a man with an interest in ideas and culture.
McLeod, 2020, rants about emasculated males and praises Mike Tyson, boxer, on Twitter.
Donald Trump was also mentioned. Don’t try to dominate. You are wasting your time.
McLeod said: ‘Our entire society is made up of sh**** little f**** who insult badasses & get away with it because law enforcement & social norms protect the WEAK from the STRONG,’ he tweeted.
“I am over it.”
‘The weak better buckle up… s*** is about to get real.’
He also posted a tweet that appeared to include a quote taken from his book.
“America can only be saved by a strong economy.” [Pinochet]Purge, where we empirically assess what the dumbest thing was said [MsNBC] every week & then execute the offender by [Helicopter]Isaiah declared, “A restoration of American intelligence in less than a decade.”
McLeod posted also quotes by Donald Trump in which he exhorted ‘domination.
McLeod shared on Twitter copies from his book and his face mask.
McLeod (47) loved the idea of living among the elements.
The book was promoted by him on Instagram with an image that featured skulls as well as bullets
The names of four victims from his five murders have already been revealed.
Alicia Cardenas (44), the owner and operator of Sol Tribe Tattoo Shop, was killed first. Alyssa Gunn maldonado (35) was her assistant.
Jimmy Maldonado, her husband was also injured.
McLeod then killed an unnamed suspect in a house.
Then he opened fire on the Flat Black Ink former headquarters before police stopped him and exchanged gunfire, which rendered the patrol car disabled.
McLeod drove up to Lucky 13 tattoo parlor where he killed Danny Scofield, 38.
He finally shot Sarah Steck, 28, a Hyatt House clerk.
McLeod did not know Steck, but police claimed that he had a connection with the hotel.
Denver police said that the others had been targeted.
Denver police Cmdr. Matt Clark claimed that these shootings are not random.
Clark explained that Clark believed the criminal was targeting individuals in his case.
“The offender knew the victims.”
According to authorities, Mcleod may have had an intimate business or personal relationship in the past with the victims. Although the suspect had ties to Hyatt House, he wasn’t necessarily familiar with Steck.
Clark indicated that Clark had previously interacted with the hotel and that he was not necessarily the clerk.
Alicia Cardenas (44), the owner of Sol Tribe Tattoo shop in Denver was identified by his friends via social media as one among the five victims of Monday’s shooting rampage.
Cardenas, left and right were described as being a pillar in Denver’s Tattoo community. A 12-year-old son survived her.
Alyssa Gunn Maldonado was 35 when she was gunned down in Cardenas’ store. Jimmy Maldonado was reported to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the chest.
Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado and Jimmy were married February 2020. Together they have a son
Danny Scofield (right), 38, was a tattoo artist from Lucky 13 Tattoo and Piercing, Lakewood. He was killed in the attack.
Sarah Steck (28) was McLeod’s fifth victim. Although he was acquainted with the Hyatt house hotel, he did not know her.
Flowers will be left at the Sol Tribe tattoo parlor on Tuesday. It is here that Gunn Maldonado was killed.
Police shot McLeod and later killed him.
McLeod fatally shot a female police officer in her abdomen. But she returned fire, and he was killed.
John Romero from Lakewood police said that she was wearing body armour and would make a complete recovery.
Although a connection to the tattoo industry seems probable, police are still trying to determine the motive behind this rampage.
Flat Black Ink’s owner said that he acquired the space from Alicia Cardenas.
Ian Lutz of World Tattoo Studio stated that he hadn’t heard of McLeod until he was identified as the shooter by police.
“Yeah. I don’t know the background of this shop prior to becoming its owner. I know that Alicia owned it and it was sort of a secondary Sol Tribe,’ Lütz told USA TODAY.
“That is all I know of the history.
I’ve owned this shop for four and a half years.
Denver Police said McLeod was on the radar for 2020 and 2021 but he wasn’t charged.
Thorn revealed to The Denver Gazette that he had sold his Denver home around five years back to Gabriel Thorn.
Thorn claimed that his Denver Police Department raided the home of McLeod about one month after McLeod moved in.
Chief of Denver Police, Paul Pazen would not divulge what they knew about McLeod. He described McLeod as having a history with extremism.
Pazen stated, “This is not an unknown party to us,”