Coroner identifies two Silver Nugget employees killed in Thursday shooting

(Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Loved ones identified the man fatally shot by a North Las Vegas police officer at the Silver Nugget casino as Jeremias Cruz. Police said he killed a co-worker at the casino before being shot, but friends remembered him as a Christian and loving father Friday. (Facebook)

The Clark County coroner Saturday has identified the two employees of the Silver Nugget casino in North Las Vegas who died violently Thursday morning.

Edgardo Lavado Velasquez, 64, of North Las Vegas, was the victim of a homicide. The other employee who was a suspect, Jeremias Cruz, 30, of Las Vegas, was shot by a North Las Vegas police officer.

Police responded about 5:45 a.m. to the casino at 2140 Las Vegas Blvd. North to investigate a call about a beating happening inside the building, with several callers reporting someone was “possibly being killed,” department spokeswoman Ann Cavaricci said.

Velasquez was found dead in an employee-only area after extensive, visible head trauma, Cavaricci said. Nearby in a casino store room, officers confronted Cruz.

Cavarrici said Cruz was having an “agitated chaotic episode,” continually ignoring officer commands.

At one point, officers used a less-than-lethal weapon to subdue Cruz, but he wasn’t fazed, Cavaricci said. Cruz continued toward the officers “attempting to attack them,” Cavaricci said. One officer fired his weapon, striking Cruz, who later died at University Medical Center.

Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.