LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Video was released Monday from shootings in December, when a man killed five people and injured two in Lakewood and Denver.
The release came as the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office announced that two Lakewood Police officers who fired shots at the suspect won't face charges.
District Attorney Alexis King praised the actions of Lakewood Police Agents Ashley Ferris and Brianna Hagan for their use of force against Lyndon James McLeod on Dec. 27, 2021.
McLeod killed five people and wounded two others:
- Alicia Cardenas, owner of Sol Tribe tattoo shop, was killed.
- Danny Scofield, "Dano Blair," who worked at Lucky 13 Tattoo & Piercing, was killed.
- Sarah Steck, who worked at Hyatt House, was killed.
- Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, who worked at Sol Tribe, was killed.
- Michael Swinyard, 67, was killed inside his home near Cheesman Park.
- Jimmy Maldonado, who worked at Sol Tribe, was shot but survived.
- Ferris was shot before she shot the gunman and survived.
The District Attorney's Office reviewed more than 2,100 photographs and about 900 pages of reports from several law-enforcement agencies as part of its investigation, King said in her decision letter.
One of the videos, shown below, from a surveillance camera shows Ferris shoot the suspect.
CONTENT WARNING: The video below shows the moment both Farris and McLeod are shot and may be disturbing for some viewers.
“Agents Hagan and Ferris and their fellow officers from multiple agencies responded swiftly and bravely to end this spree of senseless violence in our community," King said in a statement. "Agent Ferris demonstrated particular heroism in returning fire while gravely wounded herself, and our community owes her and all of our law enforcement partners a debt of gratitude for their service during this tragic event.”
Agent Brianna Hagan
McLeod had already killed three people in Denver and one in Lakewood when Hagan and another Lakewood officer – who were on patrol – spotted McLeod's van on West Alameda Avenue, the decision letter says.
They attempted a traffic stop, and the van pulled into the parking lot of a Wells Fargo. Hagan got out of her vehicle as McLeod got out of the van, dressed all in black. He immediately fired eight to 10 rounds from a rifle or long gun at Hagan. She fired two rounds and did not hit him, the letter says.
McLeod ran from the officers and dropped his gun. Hagan aired a description of the gunman, and other Lakewood officers began to arrive and set up a perimeter around the Belmar Shopping District.
Within the perimeter, McLeod walked into Ted's Montana Grill, pointed a handgun at an employee and yelled at her before leaving. He then went into Hyatt House Hotel and shot and killed Steck, who was the desk clerk.
Investigative notes from police say Steck was not scheduled to work the evening shift on the day she was shot. She was covering for someone who was out sick.
According to police, McLeod stayed at the Hyatt House twice in November, which was one month before the shootings. Reports for investigators said employees remembered McLeod got upset when he was told he couldn't use a gift card to pay for his stay.
> Video below: Lakewood restaurant workers detail encounter with gunman:
Agent Ashley Ferris
Ferris was among the Lakewood officers who helped set up a perimeter around Belmar Shopping District. She saw McLeod walking toward her, wearing a vest with the word "POLICE" on it and loading handgun magazines.
Ferris realized he wasn't a police officer and recognized him from the description of the gunman. She told him, "Don't hurt other people, please" and "Don't do this" while she backed away and drew her gun.
"I'll show you what I'll do," McLeod said, according to the letter.
McLeod fired multiple shots, one of which struck Ferris in her lower torso. As Ferris fell to the ground, she returned fire. From the ground, she fired at least seven more shots, causing McLeod to fall. She reloaded her firearm and fired at least five more rounds.
A total of 23 shell casings were recovered from where Ferris fired her weapon, and six were recovered from where McLeod fired his gun, the letter says.
> Watch the full 9NEWS interview with Agent Ashley Ferris:
Police said in McLeod's van, they found hundreds of rounds of ammo, projectiles, handcuffs and multiple envelopes addressed to people. Police also found a copy of "Sanction," his trilogy of dystopian, violence-filled fiction in which he named several people who were targeted and killed that night.
Police discovered the van was registered to a woman. A detective called her to make sure she was safe. According to police records, she told the detective McLeod stole her van and she was a victim of domestic violence.
RELATED: Police ID suspect in shooting spree that killed 5, say he was 'on the radar' of law enforcement
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS