LAS VEGAS, NV – A tragic shooting event unfolded at a homeless encampment in Las Vegas on Friday, leaving one person dead and four others injured. The police are investigating what led to the violence and who fired the shots.
The violent episode transpired near Charleston Boulevard and U.S. 95 at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time. Witnesses at the scene guided the police to multiple victims, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johansson.
The victims, all of whom were homeless, were rushed to the University Medical Center. A man in his 50s, unfortunately, couldn’t survive his injuries and was declared dead at the hospital. Among the injured, one man in his 30s is critically wounded, while two other men and a teenager are reported to be in stable condition.
Authorities believe the shooting was carried out by a single suspect who is still on the loose. Police intend to revisit the crime scene and examine the area for potential surveillance footage on Saturday, Johansson revealed.
Johansson said witnesses saw a male flee the scene in a dark sedan after the shooting, but investigators do not know whether or not that person was involved. There was no clear explanation for what led to the shooting on Friday night.
There is no indication yet as to whether the incident was a one-time occurrence or part of a larger pattern. The shooting at the homeless encampment comes as Los Angeles police search for a suspect in the killing of three homeless people. Each of the three victims was shot in separate incidents, and it is believed they were alone and sleeping when they were attacked, the Los Angeles police chief said.
Despite the initial similarities, there’s no evidence to suggest a connection between this incident and the recent murders of three homeless men in Los Angeles. The victims in Los Angeles were all sleeping alone in public areas when they were murdered, prompting the LAPD to issue a warning about a possible serial killer. Los Angeles Police Department’s lead investigator believes that the two cases were unrelated.