On January 27, 2021, 34-year-old Lewis Nicholas Garcia was found with a gunshot wound on the ground outside the La Vista Motel in the 5500 block of East Colfax Avenue in Denver. A passerby discovered him in the early morning; officers arrived about 2 a.m. and Garcia was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

A Colorado native from Greeley and a Northridge High School graduate, Garcia was a father to a six-year-old son, Landon. His family — mother, stepfather and three siblings — described their devastation and set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and to provide for Landon. Metro Denver Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.

The Denver Police Department identified Garcia publicly and appealed for witnesses while investigators searched for the gunman. No arrests or suspect information had been released in the weeks after the shooting. If anyone has information that could help the investigation, please come forward.