In the early morning hours of December 30, 2023, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace at a bar in the 4800 block of West Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado. Inside the Viking Bar, 38-year-old Jason Ira Lewis was among four people who were shot. The incident, which occurred around 1:30 a.m., left a scene of chaos and tragedy. First responders arrived to find four victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
All four were transported to a local hospital for medical attention.
Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Jason Lewis and another man, 41-year-old Brandon Houston, succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead. The two other victims of the shooting survived their injuries. The Denver Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that both Lewis and Houston died from gunshot wounds and ruled their deaths as homicides. In the wake of the deadly shooting, the Viking Bar became a shuttered reminder of the lives lost.
The Denver Police Department launched an investigation and identified 55-year-old Matthew Leaniel Johnson as the suspect in the double homicide. Johnson is wanted on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Despite extensive efforts to locate him, Johnson remains at large. The FBI has joined the search and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Authorities have released information that Johnson has ties to Louisiana, Sacramento, California, and Chicago, in addition to Colorado. To increase visibility in the hunt for the suspect, the FBI has placed 28 digital billboards featuring Johnson's face throughout the Front Range and nearby counties. Lewis's family continues to feel his absence and hopes for justice, stating that an arrest would be a step toward closure.
