Police investigate homicide in central Las Vegas Valley

Las Vegas police say a man was fatally shot as he walked near a central Las Vegas convenience store early Wednesday in a crime that caused the closure of a busy thoroughfare in the area.

The homicide happened adjacent to a 7-Eleven convenience store at the intersection of Maryland Parkway and Bonanza Road just after 7 a.m. Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said the victim, a man in his late 20s, was slain as he walked on nearby 11th Street just a short distance from the store.

“At some point there was an altercation,” Spencer said. “We don’t know if he had an altercation with a person on foot or if it was a person in a vehicle. We are still trying to determine that. We are in the process of canvassing the area to find witnesses, and we are also trying to locate any surveillance video.”

A convenience store clerk called 911 to report the shooting. The victim was taken to University Medical Center where he died, Spencer said.

At the same time the man was shot, Spencer said, police also received a report of a possible shooting nearby on Pecos Road at Washington Avenue. Police shut down north and southbound traffic on Pecos Road at Washington to look for evidence, suspecting the two calls to police were related. However, Spencer said police soon determined the two events were not related, prompting the reopening of Pecos around 8:30 a.m.

Police are asking for the public’s help in solving the crime. Anyone with information can call homicide detectives at 702-828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.