Lakewood Officer Killed After Shooting on RTD Bus by Suspect With Parole History
Agent Nicholas Graham died after engaging Gabriel Steven Garcia, who was on mandatory parole for felony trespassing and had a prior record of felony assault.
By Nikolai Patterson ·
A Lakewood police agent was killed on Thursday night after a shootout aboard a regional transit bus in the Denver metro area.
Agent Nicholas Graham, 33, died from injuries sustained in the shooting. Three other officers and one civilian were also wounded in the incident, which occurred near the intersection of West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard.
The suspect is identified as Gabriel Steven Garcia, 34. Police said Garcia was wanted in connection with a previous hit-and-run incident. Agents spotted him boarding an RTD bus and moved to approach him. Garcia opened fire first, and the officers returned the fire, killing him.
Public Information Officer John Romero explained that the agents called for backup after identifying the suspect. Several Lakewood officers responded to the scene and approached Garcia on the bus. Romero stated that the suspect immediately opened fire on the agents upon their approach.
Records from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation show Garcia has a long criminal history across the Denver metropolitan region. His record spans jurisdictions including the City and County of Denver, Jefferson County, Arapahoe County, and Adams County. Garcia pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2017 and began a ten-year prison sentence.
Garcia was released from prison in 2023, where he accumulated new charges. He was most recently on parole for felony trespassing. Broomfield police arrested him less than six weeks prior to the bus shooting for a warrant.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Corrections confirmed Garcia was under mandatory parole supervision at the time of the incident. The agency stated he was released to supervision on September 23, 2026. Garcia was sentenced on April 22, 2026, in Adams County for First-Degree Criminal Trespass of an Inhabited Dwelling. His sentence included one year in state custody followed by one year of mandatory parole, with 149 days credited for pre-sentence confinement.
