A Denver accountant and self-proclaimed revival preacher was arrested after allegedly shooting a man in a public park.
Ryan Egelston, 28, was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder following the incident inside the Colorado city on Sunday, according to jail records.
Officials say that Egelston, who is being held on a $1 million bail, fired two shots inside Washington Park, striking one man who was rushed to hospital.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by 9news, the man had asked Egelston if he could sit on the same bench as him.
Witnesses told officers that Egelston, who is employed as a accountant, proceeded to spit on the man, push him in the chest before punching him in the lower back.
The affidavit adds that Egelston then pulled out a handgun and fired at the man, striking his bicycle.
As Egelston left the area, he then fired at a second person who was struck in the neck and jaw and severely wounded. Police said he is expected to survive.
The document adds that there was no interaction between Egelston and the victim who was shot.
Officers say Egelston, seen here in his mugshot, fired two shots inside Washington Park, striking one man who was rushed to hospital
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by 9news, the man had asked Egelston if he could sit on the same bench as him in the park
He is said to have later told officers that the people he shot at ‘were somehow involved in psy-ops’.
Psy-ops, short for psychological operations, are military operations aimed at influencing the behavior of groups of people, governments or organizations.
Officers added that Egelston had told them he had been put on a mental health hold in May 2024.
According to his own personal website, Egelston describes himself as being ‘passionate about revival, and a Revelation 11 witness.’
On his social media pages, he frequently mentions artificial intelligence being the beginning of the ‘end times’.
In one post, he says: ‘The spiritual implications of this technology are enormous and have unraveled significant prophecy in the Bible, which I believe are significant leading indicators of Christ’ return.
‘We are looking at significant societal changes and dark agendas being implemented in the next 10-15 years.’
Egelston also urged people to ‘watch out’ for electronic appliances and not to buy new things because ‘of the control available to others out there’.
According to his own personal website, Egelston describes himself as being ‘passionate about revival, and a Revelation 11 witness’
He is said to have later told officers that the people he shot at ‘were somehow involved in psy-ops’
On his social media pages, he frequently mentions artificial intelligence being the beginning of ‘end times’
Last year, he appeared on a Christian podcast where he again spoke about his views on artificial intelligence.
Egelston had appeared alongside Robert Thibodeau, host of the Kingdom Crossroads Podcast in March 2024.
Thibodeau told 9news: ‘His views were to the extreme, I guess you could say. But at the same time, they were his views, and I was asking questions.’
He told the outlet he was shocked to hear about the incident in the park, saying that Egelston pushed the limits of whom he’d invite on his show.
He appeared in court on Monday for a first advisement hearing. No future court date has been set as of now.
