Investigators reveal video, suspect's confession in fatal shooting at Fort Collins McDonald's

Investigators say video footage and a man's statements to police implicate him in the fatal shooting of a man experiencing homelessness outside the Midtown Fort Collins McDonald's in July 2021.

Christopher J. Johnson, 39, of Fort Collins, was fatally shot near the drive-thru of the McDonald’s in Midtown Fort Collins, near the intersection of College Avenue and Drake Road, the morning of July 19, 2021.

Prosecutors played surveillance footage from inside the McDonald's and the restaurant's patio during an evidence hearing Friday. In the footage, another man is seen interacting with Johnson multiple times across a span of 7 minutes. The man walks back and forth from Johnson — in and out of frame of the video — multiple times, and the final time, the man comes back, does something with his waistband and Johnson falls back, Fort Collins Police Services Detective Dollie Knab testified during Friday's evidence hearing.

Johnson's death was ruled a homicide by a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Larimer County Coroner's Office.

In the footage, Johnson never stands up or makes any movement to engage physically with the man, Knab said, and she is unsure what they were talking about.

Knab said investigators sent a bulletin to other area law enforcement agencies with images of the shooter and the vehicle he was driving from the surveillance footage, and a Brighton police officer identified the man in the footage as Victor Corwin, now 30, based on previous incidents involving him. An off-duty Boulder County deputy spotted Corwin in Berthoud the morning after the shooting, and several officers from multiple agencies responded to arrest him.

The vehicle Corwin was seen driving in multiple surveillance videos had been reported stolen from Lakewood the morning of the shooting, Knab said. The vehicle's owner told police he believed someone entered his home an stole his wallet and car keys, and he received several alerts about fraudulent activity on credit cards that were in his wallet. A firearm was also in the car's glove box.

When Corwin was arrested in Berthoud, he was found with the vehicle owner's credit cards and his firearm, Fort Collins Police Services Detective CJ O’Loughlin testified.

Corwin has been charged with first-degree murder, a Class 1 felony; identity theft, a Class 4 felony; possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a Class 6 felony; criminal possession of financial devices, a Class 6 felony; aggravated motor vehicle theft, a Class 6 felony; and petty theft.

In video played by prosecutors of Knab interviewing Corwin after he was arrested, Corwin makes statements implicating himself, 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin said.

Corwin told Knab during the interview he "shot him in the head," referring to Johnson, Knab said. In other parts of Knab's interview with Corwin not played in court due to sound issues, Knab said Corwin said, "I did a 380 on someone’s head," with the number 380 referring to the caliber of the firearm used in the shooting, which investigators identified using a shell casing found at the scene.

Corwin made several statements during the interview that didn't make sense, Knab said. He allegedly claimed to have shot Johnson because he believed Johnson was a wanted international terrorist, Knab testified. Corwin was trying to get Johnson to come with him willingly, and when Johnson refused, Corwin told Knab he had to "execute" him, she testified.

In response to questions from one of Corwin's defense attorneys, Benjamin Iddings, Knab said Corwin made additional statements that didn't make sense, including that someone named Sgt. Rick — who Corwin said is his father — ordered him to arrest Johnson, but also that Russian President Vladimir Putin is his father.

The defense is not able to introduce possible defenses, including mental health-related defenses, during evidence hearings.

Corwin was deemed legally competent to proceed in this case in September after two doctors who evaluated Corwin testified to 8th Judicial District Judge Gregory Lammons that they believed Corwin was competent to proceed, likely because he had stopped using illegal substances and had started taking medication to treat delusional thoughts and voices he heard.

Legally competent means a defendant is able to consult with their attorney with "a reasonable degree of rational understanding" in order to assist with their own defense.

At the conclusion of Friday's hearing, Lammons ruled there was enough evidence to continue charging Corwin in this case and to continue holding him in the jail without bond.

"You don't often see video and a confession," in homicide cases, Lammons said.

Corwin is next scheduled to appear in court Dec. 5.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins McDonald's shooting video, confession played in court