Manslaughter charge dropped against Las Vegas man in toddler’s death

Logan, 26, remained in police custody Sunday on two counts of child abuse or neglect in Messiah Logan’s death. The convicted felon also faces additional charges for violating parole and a prohibition on owning or possessing a firearm, jail records show.

In September 2013, court records show, Logan pleaded guilty to two felony counts of battery with intent to commit a crime.

Las Vegas police arrested Logan in connection with the shooting Thursday. He was taken into custody without incident at a home at 3927 Chasing Heart Way, police said.

Details surrounding the decision by the DA’s office were not immediately available Sunday. An after-hours request for comment was not immediately returned.

A day after Logan’s arrest, Messiah’s mother, Ashley Slack, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she and her family deny the police account of the Wednesday morning shooting.

“Mike Logan did not harm Messiah,” she said.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting happened while Messiah was playing with four other boys, all under age 12, inside a bedroom in an apartment unit at 3975 N. Nellis Blvd. Police said a boy, about 10 years old, fired the shot that killed Messiah.

But Slack, speaking outside the Chasing Heart Way home Friday afternoon, said another son of hers, a 5-year-old, watched Messiah accidentally shoot himself.

At the time, homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said that the shooting appeared to be accidental but that police were still reviewing evidence. Investigators on Wednesday were working to determine how the child got the gun. No other details have been released.

Logan’s 72-hour hearing is scheduled for Monday morning, jail records show.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.