Paintball victim healing from random shooting in Henderson
Walmart employee Andrew Janisky was collecting shopping carts at a Henderson store on Dec. 26 when a passenger in a vehicle asked him how to get to U.S. Highway 95.
As the 22-year-old employee began to give directions, another person in the vehicle shot him in the right eye with a paintball gun.
The attack on Janisky, who was working at the Walmart on Lake Mead Parkway near Boulder Highway, was one of eight similar incidents that occurred in Henderson in late December. Authorities said he initially lost 75 percent of his vision in the wounded eye.
"They laughed and sped away," Janisky recalled Thursday night after finishing his shift at Walmart.
Janisky, a 2008 graduate of Henderson’s Basic High School, returned to work a week ago.
He said he was near the end of his shift the night of the shooting and never saw the gun. He remembered screaming in pain after being struck, and worrying that the red paint on his glasses was blood.
"It hurt a lot," the soft-spoken man said.
As Janisky discussed the incident Thursday night, his fiancée, Cassandra Miller, arrived to pick him up. The high school sweethearts share a Henderson apartment and one car. Janisky supports them both with his minimum-wage job.
He said he has recovered most of his vision since the shooting. His prescription glasses probably kept him from losing his eye.
"That’s what the eye doctor keeps telling me," he said.
Henderson police have arrested three teenagers in connection with the shooting spree, and all three suspects appeared in court Thursday. Two juvenile suspects, with their parents by their sides, admitted their involvement in the attacks.
"I provided a paintball gun, and we were out shooting random people," 17-year-old Aaron Briggs said.
Christian Melton, 16, emphasized his youth when he addressed Juvenile Court Hearing Master Thomas Kurtz.
"I was the youngest. I was the driver. They were my passengers," Melton said.
Both juveniles, who remain in custody, denied firing the paintball gun at anyone.
The adult defendant, 18-year-old Robert Lockwood, appeared before Henderson Justice of the Peace Stephen George. George released Lockwood on his own recognizance with intensive supervision pending a preliminary hearing.
In separate interviews with police, Lockwood and Briggs each said Melton came up with the idea of randomly shooting people with the paintball gun.
Paintball is a game in which players seek to eliminate opponents by marking them with a water-soluble dye shot in capsules from air guns. Participants typically wear eye protection.
Janisky said he has nothing to say to the suspects and has no desire to attend their court proceedings.
"I just really want to put the whole thing behind me, personally," he said. "I mean, don’t get me wrong. I still want them to go to jail. I just don’t want to keep reliving the same moment over and over."
Miller spoke in stronger terms about the attack on her fiancé, calling it "malicious" and "just not fair." She noted that it occurred the day after Christmas, "a time of good will."
In court on Thursday, Melton said his group shot six people.
Kurtz interrupted the teenager when he began an explanation of his actions with the phrase, "We were just out having fun …"
"Fun?" the hearing master said, raising his voice. "You find something fun about shooting people?"
"No, sir," replied the teenager, who could be heard crying during the hearing.
Briggs and Melton each admitted the allegations in two of the counts they faced: battery with substantial bodily harm, a felony, and battery, a misdemeanor. The counts involve all of the victims.
In Juvenile Court, the accused do not plead guilty or not guilty to crimes. Instead, they admit or deny allegations of delinquency.
Attorney Mark Anderson, who represents Melton, said the young man has "strong family support." The attorney said Melton has been attending school regularly, has cooperated with the police investigation and is remorseful.
Anderson said Melton had one previous case in Juvenile Court, four years earlier. He did not elaborate, other than to say Melton had complied with all the requirements. Juvenile Court records are not public.
Both Melton and Briggs are scheduled to appear before Juvenile Court Judge William Voy for sentencing on Jan. 31. A detention review hearing for Melton is scheduled for Jan. 17 before Voy.
Anderson asked Kurtz to release his client pending sentencing, but the hearing master said the nature of the offense and the risk of danger to the community convinced him that Melton should remain in custody.
Kurtz said a risk-assessment report prepared by the Department of Juvenile Justice Services indicates "placement at Spring Mountain Youth Camp may be appropriate." The camp is on Mount Charleston.
Anderson said the report also suggests that Melton receive counseling for anti-social behavior.
During Briggs’ appearance before Kurtz, the teenager apologized repeatedly.
"I should have stopped it when I had the chance, and I didn’t," Briggs said.
Kurtz said he had not received a risk-assessment report for Briggs.
Both juveniles’ parents declined to comment after the hearing.
Earlier in Henderson Justice Court, Chief Deputy District Attorney Frank Coumou did not object to the request for Lockwood’s release.
Deputy Public Defender Benjamin Saxe said the teenager, whose parents were present in the courtroom, never had been in trouble before. Judge George scheduled a preliminary hearing for Feb. 13.
A criminal complaint charges Lockwood with three counts of battery with a deadly weapon, a felony; two counts of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, also a felony; and three counts of conspiracy to commit battery, a gross misdemeanor.
Janisky and Quintin Hodowanic, 21, were named as the victims in the two counts involving substantial bodily harm. Hodowanic also suffered an eye injury.
Records show that the shooting spree began on Dec. 19 in Henderson, when three people were shot, and ended on Dec. 28.
Hodowanic called Henderson police around 9 p.m. on Dec. 28 and told them he had just been shot in the eye with a paintball gun.
About 20 minutes later, a police officer stopped a vehicle driven by Melton. The vehicle, which had three passengers, had been driving with its headlights off near Morrell Park. All four people in the vehicle, including Briggs and Lockwood, denied involvement in the shootings.
Later that night, Hodowanic told police he and another man were walking south on Major Avenue near Morrell Park when a vehicle pulled up next to them. One of the passengers asked them for directions.
"Quintin was standing near the rear passenger window when the rear passenger pulled out a paintball gun and shot Quintin in the eye," according to a declaration of arrest in Lockwood’s case.
Police later recovered a paintball gun from Melton’s vehicle.
On Dec. 29, Hodowanic told police "doctors had originally informed him that he would need surgery for his eye but that it may now heal on its own."
In an interview with police that day, Lockwood said he fired the paintball gun at only one person. He said that incident occurred on Dec. 28 on Major Avenue. He admitted being present during the Walmart shooting but said Melton shot the employee.
Police also interviewed Briggs on Dec. 29. He said he had bought the paintball gun a week or two earlier.
"One day when he was shooting in his backyard, Christian came over and told him they should bring it in his car to shoot things and it has been in Christian’s car ever since," according to the declaration of arrest.
Briggs denied being present during the Walmart shooting.
"The three suspects did not have any reason for the attacks and did not know any of the victims prior to the attacks," according to a news release issued Jan. 5 by Henderson police.
Police spokesman Keith Paul declined to comment further Thursday.
A Clark County School District spokesman said Lockwood is enrolled at Foothill High School in Henderson. He said records show that Briggs and Melton attended Foothill until October, when they were withdrawn.
Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.
