Jason Ira Lewis

Jason Ira Lewis was a devoted son, a loving partner, and a cherished brother and friend who was known for his passion for life. Born on June 14, 1985, the 38-year-old male was an avid motorcyclist and the president of the Peligrosos MC Colorado. He was also dedicated to fitness and had been a loving caretaker for his parents, Edward and Gloria Lewis, before they passed away. His sister, Courtney Ortiz, remembered him as someone who "loved life deeply and cherished his family above all else." His absence, she said, "has left an immeasurable void in our lives and everyone who loved him."

That void was created in the chaotic early morning hours of Saturday, December 30, 2023. Around 1:30 a.m., a dispute on the patio of the Viking Bar in the 4800 block of West Colfax Avenue in Denver escalated to violence. According to authorities, an argument broke out between a woman and one of the victims. The woman's boyfriend, Matthew LaDaniel Johnson, was then punched and knocked to the ground. When Johnson got up, he allegedly pulled out a handgun and opened fire on the group of people on the patio.

When officers from the Denver Police Department arrived, they found four men suffering from gunshot wounds. All four were transported to a local hospital for emergency medical care. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Jason Lewis and another man, 41-year-old Brandon Houston, succumbed to their injuries. The Denver Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that both men died from gunshot wounds and ruled their deaths as homicides. The two other victims shot in the incident survived.

The Denver Police Department launched an intensive investigation and quickly identified Matthew LaDaniel Johnson, then 55, as the suspect. On January 1, 2024, Johnson was charged in Denver County Court with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but Johnson had fled. He was considered armed and extremely dangerous, with known ties to Louisiana, Sacramento, California, and Chicago, in addition to Colorado. For nearly two years, he remained a fugitive from justice.

The search for Johnson became a multi-agency effort. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined the manhunt, and in August 2024, a federal warrant was issued for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. To generate new leads, the FBI placed Johnson's face on 28 digital billboards across Colorado's Front Range and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Jason's family pleaded with the public for help. "We live with the weight of this unimaginable grief," said his sister, Nikole Lewis-Ward. "We remain hopeful Matthew Johnson, who is responsible for this horrific crime, will be found and held accountable so that justice may be served."

The family's plea and the increased publicity worked. Just one day after the reward was announced, a tip from the public led investigators to Johnson's location. On the night of August 29, 2025, members of the FBI Denver Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Denver Police Department arrested Matthew LaDaniel Johnson in north Denver. The arrest brought a wave of relief to the families and law enforcement. "This defendant will now have his day in court, and the judicial process can begin,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “We hope these efforts bring a measure of justice and relief to the families of the victims.”

Following his capture, Johnson was taken into custody to face the charges against him. The case against him for the murders of Jason Lewis and Brandon Houston is now proceeding through the court system as of September 2025. For Jason's family, the arrest was a significant step. "You know, you sit there and you wait for that person to walk through the door still," his sister Nikole had said while Johnson was a fugitive. "It's so real, and he never comes through. So it's a big hole that has left in our heart forever."