Drug deal preceded fatal shooting in North Las Vegas, police say

North Las Vegas police suspect a man who was shot and killed Thursday afternoon while in the passenger seat of a moving car was targeted after a botched drug deal.

“It was a narcotics deal turned bad,” city police spokesman Eric Leavitt said Friday.

The victim, identified Friday by the Clark County coroner’s office as 28-year-old Corey Donte Jones of Las Vegas, died of a gunshot wound to his chest.

According to Leavitt, Jones and another man were driving near West Alexander Road and Revere Street when Jones was shot. The driver, who was not struck, said it sounded like the gunfire had come from the right side of the car.

Jones was pronounced dead just after 3 p.m. Thursday at University Medical Center, marking the 16th homicide investigation this year for North Las Vegas police, according to records maintained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

An arrest had not been made in the case as of Friday afternoon, said Leavitt.

No other details have been released, including a possible description of the shooter or the shooter’s vehicle.

Anyone with information may contact North Las Vegas police at 702-633-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.