Las Vegas police suspect drugs, gangs link pair of shootings
Drugs and gang activity may have led to two Sunday night shootings that left one man dead and another injured.
The first shooting happened about 8:40 p.m. on the 2600 block of Van Patten Street, near Sahara Avenue and Paradise Road, Las Vegas police said.
Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Dan McGrath said a man in his 20s was found lying on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds after an altercation over a drug sale. He was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, but died in surgery about 11:15 p.m.
He was later identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as 26-year-old Kenyon Tyler.
While police were investigating on Van Patten Street they heard gunfire at about 10:40 p.m. about one block away from the scene. Another man was shot at least once on the 2500 block of Sherwood Street, McGrath said, but he is expected to survive.
The shootings appear to be related, McGrath confirmed early Monday, though police believe there are different shooters and that the second shooting may have been in retaliation to the first.
“There’s been some challenges down here with people with gang history or gang members that have been selling narcotics,” McGrath said.
Review-Journal staff writers Rio Lacanlale and Blake Apgar contributed to this story.
Contact Max Michor at 702-383-0336 or mmichor@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.
