‘Ongoing issues’ led man to shoot another man, police say
A man who police say shot a man in broad daylight at a busy Las Vegas intersection told detectives the victim was his cousin and the two had ongoing issues for years, according to an arrest report released Monday.
Jonathan Bolton, 38, was arrested Friday in connection with the death of Byron Amerson, 38.
Amerson died of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to the Clark County coroner’s office, which ruled his death a homicide.
Police were initially called to an area near Decatur and Charleston boulevards at 3:56 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department said, after reports of multiple shots fired. Officers found Amerson suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Amerson arrived at a CVS parking lot and got out of his car, a surveillance video reviewed by police showed. A few moments later, Bolton drove into the parking lot and circled around Amerson before heading back toward him, according to the report. Amerson approached Bolton’s vehicle “with his fists closed,” and a physical struggle ensued before Bolton drove away with Amerson still stuck in the window, police said.
Amerson then started running away, but Bolton got out of the vehicle and started to chase him. Bolton eventually shot Amerson in the back while he was in the middle of the street on the median, police said.
Police later tracked down Bolton’s vehicle on Interstate 15 and he was taken into custody in Jean. He told police that Amerson was his cousin and they grew up together but have had ongoing issues that have lasted for years.
He refused to tell police what had led to the shooting but said that “would come up at the trial” and admitted to shooting him.
Bolton is also facing a charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure or vehicle because one of his shots went into a vehicle in the area. Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said Monday that it was “extremely fortunate” that no one else was shot.
Bolton is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.
