Grand jury in Las Vegas indicts trio in deadly shooting spree
Three people were indicted Wednesday after authorities accused them of carrying out a two-state shooting spree on Thanksgiving that left one man dead in Henderson and targeted nearly two dozen people.
“All the victims are totally by random,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Schwartzer said. “There’s no rhyme or reason to why they were doing it.”
Five of those targeted were minors, prosecutors said.
Brothers Christopher and Shawn McDonnell, along with Kayleigh Lewis, all from Texas, each face 53 counts, ranging from murder and terrorism to gun charges and attempted murder, with the possibility of life in prison or the death sentence if convicted.
Shawn McDonnell and Lewis were married in a Las Vegas wedding chapel just weeks before the shooting spree.
In one of the shootings, 22-year-old Kevin Mendiola Jr. of North Las Vegas was killed and three others were injured in front of a 7-Eleven on the 800 block of East Lake Mead Parkway in Henderson.
Four other shootings occurred on Henderson roads around the same time, according to a Henderson police report.
In a news release about the indictment, District Attorney Steve Wolfson said prosecutors would present the case to his office’s death penalty review committee.
“The heinous and random nature of these crimes threatened many unsuspecting citizens in our community,” Wolfson said. “This act of mass violence left both physical and emotional scars on the victims and their families, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. The best way we can honor them is by seeking justice on their behalf, and we are doing that with the most serious charges possible, Murder, Act of Terrorism, and other terrorism enhancements.”
The crimes continued in the Parker, Arizona, area, where authorities said five more shootings occurred before the trio from Tyler, Texas, were arrested. Authorities said the arrests followed a vehicle chase, a crash and a shooting by officers of the Arizona Department of Public Safety in La Paz County. Wednesday’s indictment encompasses crimes alleged in both states.
In the months since the shootings, authorities have continued to trace the trio’s path across the country.
The McDonnells and Lewis had traveled as far as Washington, D.C., before returning west to the Las Vegas area. On that drive, Wolfson has said, they crafted a plan for a series of shootings.
Separately, Christopher McDonnell, who was on parole at the time of the shootings, faces a charge of ownership or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Shawn McDonnell faces one count of resisting a public officer with use of a firearm.
All three defendants, who have arraignments scheduled for Friday, are being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center. Their attorneys have declined to comment.
While it is unusual for prosecutors to pursue charges for crimes alleged to have occurred in another state, Wolfson pointed out in the news release that authorities in Arizona worked with his office.
“We are dedicated to seeking justice for the community, the family of Kevin Mendiola, who was killed during these events, and for all of the victims recovering from the physical wounds and emotional trauma they have suffered,” he said.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.