Man arrested in 2016 fatal shooting in central Las Vegas

A 37-year-old man was arrested Monday and charged with murder more than three years after a shooting in the central valley, according to Las Vegas police.

Henry Taylor is accused of fatally shooting Raquel Stapinski, 41, on April 3, 2016, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Officers were called to 6501 W. Charleston Blvd. just before 9 p.m. that day and found Stapinski dead outside her apartment building after a fight broke out at a neighbor’s birthday party, police said.

Stapinski died of a gunshot wound to the right arm and armpit, and her death was ruled a homicide by the Clark County coroner’s office.

“It appears that there was some kind of a party going on at one apartment and then the next building over another party was going on separately,” Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Dan McGrath told the Review-Journal at the time. “These two groups somehow had a confrontation in the parking lot and then there was a physical fight and that somehow escalated into gunfire.”

McGrath believed at least eight to 10 shots were fired, judging by the shell casings at the scene. Investigators also discovered holes in walls and broken glass, indicating shots had been fired directly into apartments.

There is an active warrant for Taylor’s co-defendant, Tuly Lepolo, who is also charged with murder.

Taylor is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the shooting or Lepolo’s whereabouts is urged to call Metro at 702-828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 to remain anonymous.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.