Police search for suspect in fatal shooting at apartment complex

Las Vegas police on Tuesday were searching for a man who fled after allegedly shooting and killing his girlfriend at a southwest valley apartment complex.

Police were called about 7:15 a.m. to the Sunset Canyon Apartments, at 9700 W. Sunset Road, Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said. When officers arrived, they found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The woman, believed to be in her late 30s, was taken to University Medical Center, where she died, Spencer said during a briefing outside the scene Tuesday morning.

Detectives believe that the woman and her “long-term boyfriend” were having an argument “over car keys belonging to the victim,” Spencer said.

“During the argument the male left the apartment, came out front to where the victim was and shot her multiple times, killing her,” he said.

There were two children inside the apartment at the time of the shooting — a teenager and a child “less than 10,” he said. Neither were harmed.

The victim was on the phone with her mother during the shooting, and the mother was one of numerous 911 callers who reported the gunshots to police, Spencer said.

Neighbors and family members stood outside the apartment complex on Tuesday watching detectives and embracing. Jenny Steele, who lives in the complex, said she came home right as the first police cars were arriving.

Steele said she’s lived in the complex for about 10 years, and while police are occasionally called, she hasn’t seen a fatal shooting occur before.

Spencer said police have a “tentative” identification for the suspect, who fled the scene in an unknown car before police arrived. He said the man, believed to be in his 30s, may have fled in a rental car.

Further information was not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.