Suspect in Fashion Show mall shooting posts bail, remains jailed
An 18-year-old man charged with shooting three people at the Fashion Show mall has posted $100,000 bail, his attorney said Monday.
Christopher Valenzuela-Olivas remained in custody, however, on three counts of attempted murder in the Tuesday night shooting.
Defense attorney John Turco told reporters that he expected Valenzuela-Olivas, who appeared in court handcuffed and wearing blue jail clothing, to be released from the Clark County Detention Center sometime Monday.
Detectives determined that Valenzuela-Olivas and an acquaintance were quarreling with someone as they walked through the mall.
Turco has suggested that the shooting was in self-defense and said one of the victims admitted punching a friend of Valenzuela-Olivas’.
Valenzuela-Olivas was about the leave the mall when he took out a handgun and fired multiple times, hitting the person involved in the skirmish and “two innocent bystanders,” police said.
Prosecutors have said that at least one victim was shot in the face, though the injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Valenzuela-Olivas and his acquaintance ran from the mall before officers arrived, police said.
Should Valenzuela-Olivas be released from jail, he would stay with family, Turco said.
Police initially said the gunfire erupted around 6:15 p.m. after a fight among a group of people escalated inside the mall at 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
The gunshots sent shoppers into a panic and prompted a large police presence on the Strip.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
