‘A good dude’: Relatives mourn man shot dead at east Las Vegas apartment complex
Distraught family members spoke fondly of a man who was killed Sunday at an east Las Vegas apartment complex, with police saying he was shot dead by his girlfriend’s son.
“He’s always there for me. He’s a good dude,” said Gavin Johnson, 58, who identified himself as the dead man’s brother.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting just after 11:10 a.m. Sunday on the 3700 block of East Bonanza Road, Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johansson said to reporters.
Johansson said the preliminary details indicated that a man in his 50s was shot dead after an argument with his girlfriend at the apartment she lives in with her son. The dispute became physical, and the girlfriend’s son intervened.
The dispute between the girlfriend’s son and the man then became physical, and that’s when the son pulled a gun and shot the boyfriend, police said.
“While she was in that verbal altercation that turned physical with her boyfriend, her son, who identified himself as the shooter, exited his room and intervened in the dispute between her and her boyfriend,” Johansson said.
“When he intervened, that turned into a physical altercation during which he produced a firearm and shot the boyfriend.”
Johansson didn’t identify the shooter or the victim. He said the shooter was in custody and cooperating with detectives.
“We don’t know everything about the argument that started before the shooting, and those are the facts and details we’re finding out right now,” Johansson said.
Family members of the dead man identified him as Norzel Ross, 54. The Clark County coroner’s office hadn’t yet officially released the man’s identity.
A video that purports to show the shooting was provided to the Las Vegas Review-Journal by Ross’ brother-in-law, James Yates.
He said the video was shot from a doorbell camera owned by a person who wanted to remain anonymous.
The footage is shot from inside the same apartment complex, but the camera is far enough away that it’s difficult to see exactly what’s going on. It’s evident a physical fight that involves several people emerges from what appears to be the same apartment police were investigating Sunday.
The fight continues onto a staircase, and a woman’s screams are heard.
“That was him trying to get out the house,” James Yates said, asserting that Ross had been trying to get away from the conflict. Yates and his wife, Rae Lezron Yates, who is Ross’ sister, said Ross had been living in the apartment with his girlfriend.
A shot rings out, and a man in a red shirt, identified by James Yates as Ross, appears to run down the stairs after the shot is heard.
The footage shows what appears to be the gunman holding the possible firearm with two hands and aiming it at Ross.
The camera’s view of Ross is obstructed by vehicles in the parking lot, but Ross then collapsed, both Rae and James Yates said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Johnson said he was in shock. Johnson said Ross had a daughter, lost his job last week and had been with his girlfriend for over 10 years.
Rae Lezron Yates said Ross was a rapper and was originally from Kansas City, having been born in Kansas City, Kansas. She and her brother had just been celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff win over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night.
“They loved him,” Rae Lezron Yates said of the reaction of those who knew Ross.
“It’s messed up!” she wailed. “It’s like a dream.”
Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com. Contact Peter S. Levitt at plevitt@reviewjournal.com.
