In the early morning hours of January 31, 2016, a violent altercation at the Royal Inn on South I-35 Service Road in Oklahoma City ended the life of 38-year-old Justin Lucas. A White male, Lucas was discovered by police on an upper-level landing of the motel, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The initial police response was to a reported disturbance, which quickly escalated into a homicide investigation upon their arrival at approximately 3:30 a.m.
The investigation into Lucas's death swiftly uncovered a dark undercurrent of gang warfare. It was determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence but a targeted attack rooted in a bitter feud between two prison gangs, the United Aryan Brotherhood and the Irish Mob. Lucas was reportedly associated with the United Aryan Brotherhood. The conflict between the two groups was so intense that the Irish Mob had a standing order to attack members of the United Aryan Brotherhood on sight, with the promise of rewards for those who carried out the assaults. The night of the shooting, at least 29 shots were fired, with four striking Lucas.
The investigation led to the identification and arrest of several members of the Irish Mob. Nicholas Victor Freeman, 30 years old at the time, was arrested on February 1, 2016, and charged with first-degree murder. Further investigation implicated two other men, Curtis Rouse and Bryan Cleary, in the deadly shootout. In the end, Freeman and Rouse pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, along with other charges including felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit murder. Cleary was acquitted of the first-degree murder charge but was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and other related offenses.
