Las Vegas police ‘actively looking’ for suspect in shooting of former Chaparral football star

Las Vegas police are “actively looking” for the 17-year-old boy they believe fired the shots that killed former Chaparral High School football star Richard Nelson late Saturday.

Nelson, 18, was fatally shot after intervening in a fight between his sister and several other people outside a home in the 4800 block of Sacks Drive, near Nellis Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.

Family members told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Nelson wasn’t the kind of person to seek trouble, but that in the moment, he was determined to protect his older sister.

About 7:35 p.m., just seconds after pulling someone off his sister, Nelson was shot multiple times.

The Missouri State University freshman and football player was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

“My son died in my arms,” Nelson’s mother, Roxanne Bruce, told the Review-Journal on Sunday. “He took his last breath in my arms.”

Police have not yet named the 17-year-old suspect, who is wanted on at least one murder charge, nor the suspect’s mother, who is wanted on at least one accessory charge. But detectives know who they are and are tracking them down.

The mother was believed to be present when Nelson was slain and reportedly drove her son away from the scene shortly after shots were fired, police said.

“We are still requesting they turn themselves in as soon as possible,” said Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Dan McGrath. “If (the mother) doesn’t come forward, we will find them and make sure they face justice for what happened.”

Anyone with information about the case and the whereabouts of the shooting suspect is asked to call the Metro’s homicide unit at 702-828-3521.

Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.