FBI officials on Thursday increased the reward for information about a man wanted on suspicion of murder in a 2023 shooting at a now-closed Denver bar that killed two people and wounded two others.
The FBI is offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of , who is suspected of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder as well as one federal count of fleeing prosecution.
Investigators say a fight broke out at The Viking bar, 4888 W. Colfax Ave., between Johnson’s girlfriend and another man about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 30, 2023, when the man punched Johnson and knocked him to the ground.
Johnson pulled out a gun and started shooting at people on the patio, hitting four men. Two of the men, 38-year-old Jason Lewis and 41-year-old Brandon Houston, later died at a hospital.
Johnson has ties to Chicago, Louisiana, Colorado and Sacramento, Calif., according to the FBI. He previously worked at a public library.
Johnson is described as Black, 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was born in Denver and has used different birthdates that identify him as 35 or 55 years old.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
FBI Denver is announcing a $10,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of Matthew LaDaniel Johnson, who is wanted in a double homicide in Denver from 2023. Call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at .
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver)
Updated 3:12 p.m., Aug. 30, 2025: Because of a reporter’s error, a previous version of this story included the incorrect date of the shooting at a Denver bar in 2023. The story has been updated
