Police said man shot dead near downtown Las Vegas had history involving drugs, gangs
A man who was fatally shot Friday afternoon near downtown Las Vegas had a history of involvement with drugs and gangs, police said.
The man, described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, was shot just after 1 p.m. in an apartment at 2108 Sunrise Ave., near Fremont Street and Eastern Avenue, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Homicide Lt. Dan McGrath said a woman has been detained for questioning. The extent of her involvement is unclear, as detectives had yet to interview her. But she was in the apartment when the shooting occurred and witnesses saw her help move the man into a small courtyard between two buildings, he said.
“She was seen helping … or dragging the person outside of the apartment,” McGrath said. “She was sitting and waiting for officers when they arrived.”
McGrath said the man appeared to have been shot in the chest. He died on the scene.
The neighborhood has a history of problems with gangs and drugs, as did the man who was shot, McGrath said. That makes detectives suspect the shooting was not related to domestic violence, although police were not ruling it out yet.
“We’re not sure what the motive is at this time,” he said, noting the investigation is “very early on.”
Police were in the process of seeking a search warrant for the apartment Friday afternoon, because multiple weapons were on the scene, McGrath said.
Police did not name the man who was shot but said he was known to officers who work out of the downtown area substation. He will be named by the Clark County coroner’s office after his family has been notified.
Another man was seen being taken into custody at the apartment complex door while detectives were investigating the homicide. McGrath said that man was arrested on warrants but may be connected to the apartment where the shooting happened.
Police did not identify any suspects Friday afternoon.
Review-Journal writer Jessica Terrones contributed to this report. Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Follow @WesJuhl on Twitter.
