Cheyenne man arrested on attempted murder charges after motel shooting

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A Cheyenne man has been arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred Friday afternoon at a local motel, according to the Cheyenne Police Department.

Harold Wayne Sarvis, 69, of Cheyenne, was booked into the Laramie County Jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Police were dispatched at approximately 2:25 p.m. Jan. 9 to a report of a shooting at the Big Horn Motel, located at 2004 East Lincolnway. Officers found a 52-year-old man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.

According to police, surveillance video and a preliminary investigation showed the victim arrived at the motel around 2:13 p.m. A verbal dispute occurred near Sarvis’s room, which escalated into the shooting. Police said Sarvis shot the man and then returned to his room, while the victim collapsed in the motel courtyard.

Officers secured the scene and evacuated the motel as a precaution while attempting to contact Sarvis. The Cheyenne Police/Laramie County joint SWAT team, crisis negotiators and the bomb squad were called to assist.

After several hours and multiple commands for Sarvis to exit the room, officers breached the room at about 6:10 p.m. using explosive breaching techniques and an unmanned drone. Sarvis was located and taken into custody without incident.

As a precaution, Alta Vista Elementary School was placed into a secure perimeter from 2:45 p.m. until about 4 p.m. Traffic in the area was also rerouted during the incident.

The case remains under investigation by the Cheyenne Police Department’s detective bureau.