Uber driver killed in road-rage shooting in front of Las Vegas Strip resort
An Uber driver was shot and killed on the Las Vegas Strip in front of the Palazzo during a road rage incident Monday, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the culmination of a road rage event around a quarter-mile long, an Uber driver in his 50s got out of the car — with two passengers inside — and began banging on the driver’s side window of the suspect’s car, said Metro Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson in a briefing Monday.
It was around this time that the suspect, who police said is a woman in her 20s, shot the Uber driver.
Police responded to the 4:04 p.m. call on Monday at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Palazzo Drive. The suspect fled the scene but was later taken into custody after police tracked the license plate.
Metro said that the incident has been submitted to the district attorney’s office for self defense review, and police will not be releasing the suspect’s name in the meantime. Johansson said that the suspect was arrested on charges unrelated to the shooting.
The Uber driver, who has not yet been identified by the Clark County coroner’s office, was armed, but his gun was not in play when he was shot, Johansson said.
“He drew his gun after he was shot,” Johansson said. It was only after the Uber driver had already been shot that he pulled out his gun, but he collapsed before using it.
Uber has a firearms prohibition policy, which states that both drivers and riders are prohibited from carrying firearms while using the Uber app, according to the company’s website.
“We are shocked by the details of this senseless tragedy,” an Uber spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. “We are continuing to look into this and are standing by to assist law enforcement in their investigation.”
The company said it is reaching out to the passengers who were in the vehicle at the time and encouraged any drivers and riders who need to report an incident to do so through Uber’s Safety Incident Reporting Line.
With the road construction and traffic in the area, police are seeing an increase in road rage-related shootings, Johansson said.
“Everyone be patient. None of this is worth your life,” he said.
Police asked anyone with information to contact Metro’s homicide section at 702-828-3521 or homicide@lvmpd.com. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X. Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Review-Journal digital content producer Marvin Clemons contributed to this report.
