The FBI plans to place 28 billboards across the metro Denver area as part of its search for the suspect of a fatal 2023 Denver bar shooting.

Authorities are also offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of Matthew Ladaniel Johnson as part of the FBI’s nationwide Operation Summer Heat, and will conduct the search for him in conjunction with the Denver Police Department, the two agencies said at a joint news conference Thursday. 

“We are renewing our attention on this case in hope that the public can help us find him so he can have his day in court,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This reward is a demonstration of our determination to deliver justice to the victim’s families.”

Johnson, who has used different ages, 55 and 35, is wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder and criminal attempt to commit murder for his alleged involvement in the shooting of four people at The Viking bar The Viking, a bar on West Colfax Avenue between Xavier and Wolff streets, south of Sloan’s Lake, early Dec. 30, 2023, the agencies said. 

Johnson, a Denver native who also has ties to Sacramento, Calif., Chicago and Louisiana, is described as 5-foot, 11-inches tall and weighing about 225 pounds, with brown hairs and eyes. A judge has also issued a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The suspect has gone by several other aliases including Matthew Lathaniel Johnson, Matthew Quincy Johnson, Matthew Ladani Johnson and Matthew Martinez.

At about 1:30 a.m. that night, Johnson and his girlfriend were on the bar’s patio when an argument broke out between her and one of the victims, officials said. During the argument, one of the victims knocked Johnson to the ground. When he got up, he pulled out a gun and started shooting at the victims, police allege.

Four people were shot in the incident, two fatally: Brandon Houston, 41, and Jason Lewis, 38. 

“Despite extensive efforts to locate Johnson since this incident occurred, we’ve been unable to determine his whereabouts or where he’s been hiding,” DPD Chief Ron Thomas said Thursday. 

Thomas added that investigators believe Johnson was a custodian for the Denver Public Library and may still be engaging in a similar line of work.

Two of Lewis’ sisters, Courtney Ortiz and Nikole Lewis-Ward, spoke at the news conference Thursday morning. They noted that Lewis was a frequent customer at the bar and that the two victims were friends with one another.

“We’re hoping that the suspect is brought to justice,” Ortiz said. “It will never give us closure, it will not … nobody deserves to die like this and we miss Jason every single day.”

Operation Summer Heat is a nationwide FBI initiative focusing on violent crime suppression, Michalek said, adding that this case was one the agency identified as needing increased publicity as part of the operation. 

Anyone who has information about Johnson’s whereabouts are asked to call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or submit an online tip at fbi.gov.