Man charged with attempted murder in Washington Park shooting

A 28-year-old man who allegedly shot a man in the neck in Denver’s Washington Park and fired at another man who tried to sit next to him on a bench told police he thought the victims were involved with psychological military operations, according to an arrest affidavit.

Ryan Martin Egelston has been charged with four counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of assault and one count of vehicular eluding, all felonies, according to court records.

He is also charged with six sentence-enhancing charges related to violent crimes and weapons.

Egelston was sitting on a bench in Washington Park in the 900 block of South Downing Street at around 2 p.m. Sunday when a man approached him and asked to sit on the bench.

Witnesses told police they saw Egelston spit on, push and punch the man in the lower back, and as the man was walking away, Egelston pulled out a gun and shot at him. The bullet was later found in the man’s rear bike tire.

Egelston then walked south and about a minute later shot a man from behind, hitting him in the neck and jaw, before trying to flee the scene in a red Hyundai sedan. Denver police officers rammed his vehicle and arrested him.

Egelston told police he didn’t intend to shoot anyone, that he thought the two victims were involved in psyops and he was previously hospitalized for mental health concerns.