DENVER — An FBI tipster led to the arrest of a double homicide suspect wanted in connection with a 2023 Denver bar shooting that left two people dead and two people wounded, FBI Denver announced Saturday.
FBI Denver Safe Streets Task Force and Denver Police arrested Matthew Ladaniel Johnson, 55, Friday night at a north Denver home, the agency said in a news release.
Johnson was wanted for the Dec. 30, 2023, shooting at the Viking Bar on W. Colfax Avenue in Denver amid an argument on the bar's patio.
During that argument, one of the victims punched Johnson, and the suspect allegedly retaliated by pulling out a handgun and shooting and killing Brandon Houston, 41, and Jason Lewis, 38.
The two other shooting victims survived but sustained serious injuries.
Johnson was later identified as the shooter, and a warrant for his arrest on two counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder was issued, but the suspect remained at large for more than a year after the shooting.
The tip that led to Johnson’s arrest came in after the FBI announced Thursday a $10,000 reward in the case.
“This defendant will now have his day in court, and the judicial process can begin,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek in a statement. “We hope these efforts bring a measure of justice and relief to the families of the victims.”
The FBI said that the tipster was motivated by news coverage of the reward.
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