Suspect in deadly shooting on RTD bus has lengthy criminal history

A Lakewood police agent is dead, and an entire community is mourning after a shooting on an RTD bus near West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard Thursday night.

Agent Nicholas Graham, 33, was killed in the shooting. Three other agents and a bystander were also hurt.

"We are grateful for his life, proud of his service, and committed to standing beside you in the difficult days ahead. We will honor Agent Nicholas Allen Graham by remembering how he served with compassion, professionalism, and steadfast commitment to the people of Lakewood," Lakewood Police Chief Philip Smith said.

Lakewood police said a suspect from an earlier hit-and-run was spotted boarding the bus. When agents approached on the bus, he opened fire. The agents fired back, killing him.

"The suspect was boarding an RTD bus, and after identifying the suspect, the agent called for backup. Several Lakewood agents responded and approached the suspect when the suspect immediately opened fire on the agents," said Lakewood Police Public Information Officer John Romero.

Sources told Denver7 Investigates the suspect is Gabriel Steven Garcia, 34.

Denver7 took a closer look at what led up to this tragedy. Records from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation detail Garcia's lengthy history with the law and all over the Denver metro, from the City and County of Denver to Jefferson, Arapahoe and Adams counties.

Garcia pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2017 and began serving a 10-year sentence.

Those records show Garcia was out of prison again in 2023 and racked up new charges.

Most recently, he was on parole for felony trespassing, then was arrested again less than six weeks ago by Broomfield police for a warrant.

"We can confirm that Gabriel Garcia was released to mandatory parole supervision on September 23, 2026, and was under the supervision of the Colorado Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Parole, at the time of the incident," said a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Corrections in a statement. "Garcia was sentenced on April 22, 2026, in Adams County ... for First-Degree Criminal Trespass of an Inhabited Dwelling. He received a one-year sentence in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections, followed by one year of mandatory parole, with 149 days of credit for presentence confinement."

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