Denver Shooting Kills Five Including Suspect; Police Identifies Gunman

Police identified the Denver shooting suspect that killed five people in his rampage in Colorado. The shooter was named 47-year-old Lyndon James McLeod.

McLeod was killed in a gunfight with police, according to a USA Today News report.

Some of the victims named were Alicia Cardenas, 44; Danny Schofield, 38; and Sarah Steck, 28. Meanwhile, the police did not name the fifth fatality.

Denver and Lakewood police said in a joint statement that two others, including a police officer whose identity has not yet been released, were injured in the shootings.

Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said during a press conference that the "very violent series of events" across multiple locations started in Denver on Monday evening and ended in nearby Lakewood.

Pazen said that to have this type of incident during the holiday season is not normal for their community, according to The New York Times report.

Denver Shooting Spree

The suspect shot two women and injured a man at 5 p.m., and shot and killed a man nearby.

Shots were fired at a third location, but no injuries were noted, according to Pazen.

A surveillance video from a nearby business owner showed that a dark-colored van pulled up outside Lucky 13 in Lakewood, which is one of five known shooting locations.

A man carrying what seems to be a firearm left the van, leaving the door open and the engine running. He then walked calmly into the tattoo shop and walked out 10 seconds later. He then drives away.

Pazen said officers identified a car associated with the suspect and exchanged gunfire at a fourth location when he disabled a police vehicle and fled to Lakewood, according to a Deseret News report.

The gunman then shot at the Lakewood police, left his car, and escaped on foot. McLeod entered a Hyatt Hotel, wherein he shot at a clerk. The clerk was among the injured and was taken to a hospital.

He left the hotel and was killed in Lakewood. However, it is unclear if a Lakewood police agent shot at him.

Pazen said they still need to dig in and find out the motivation behind the incident, but law enforcement said that the suspect had a history of harboring extremist views and had records of psychiatric episodes, according to an ABC News report.

Paul Osckel, a spokesman for the Lakewood Police Department, said that the wounded officer was undergoing surgery. No additional information about the officer's condition was released.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was "deeply disturbed" by the occurrences of violence.

Polis noted that his administration is working with local law enforcement to understand what happened and provide the needed support in the investigation.

Mass Shootings in Colorado

A mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado left 10 people dead in March.

Two months later, another shooting occurred at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, which took the lives of six people. The gunman had also taken his own life.

Since 1999, the state has seen a number of mass shootings, with the Columbine High School shooting that shocked the nation, with two students of the school being the gunmen.

Gun Violence Archive noted that this latest incident was the 13th mass shooting in Colorado this year. The group is a nonprofit that tracks gun violence nationally using police statistics and media reports.

READ MORE: Michigan School Mass Shooting: Parents of Ethan Crumbley, Who Killed 4 Fellow Students and Injured 7 Others, May Face Charges

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Denver Officials Search For Motive In Shooting Spree That Left Four Dead - from MSNBC