18-year-old charged in shooting death of brother in North Las Vegas
An 18-year-old has been charged in the shooting death of his 16-year-old brother last month in North Las Vegas that the man said was an accident.
Samonte Lewis was charged with disregarding the safety of a person resulting in death after police said he accidentally shot his brother through the back, killing the boy only feet from Lewis’ 5-month-old baby, according to an arrest report from the North Las Vegas Police Department.
Police were called to the North Las Vegas home around 11 p.m. July 19 after multiple callers reported the shooting. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene and all four occupants of the house present at the time were interviewed, according to the arrest report.
An AR-15-style rifle was found in the upstairs loft, and investigators later determined that it was owned by Lewis, the report said. The 18-year-old later confessed that his brother had asked how to clean the gun and that when Lewis grabbed it, the teen fell. Lewis told police that when he went to help him up he was still holding the loaded gun and shot his brother in the back, police said.
The victim suffered perforated lungs and trachea, and a severed aorta, the report said. His identity will be released by the Clark County coroner’s office.
Lewis was initially released to house arrest but rebooked into the Clark County Detention Center on Thursday. He has a pending case from February on charges of trespassing or loitering near a school with a dangerous weapon, and theft.
He is scheduled to appear in court for the shooting case on Sept. 14.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
