Police: 1 intruder dead, another injured in central valley self-defense shooting
One man died and another was wounded Wednesday after a resident shot them in what police described as self-defense, as the two tried to force their way into a home in central Las Vegas.
The Metropolitan Police Department received a call at 9:02 a.m. about a shooting in the 3300 block of Iberia Street in the Spring Valley area and spoke to a 70-year-old man who said a pair of men attempted to break into the rear door of his house, homicide police Lt. Jason Johansson said.
The intruders, whose names were not released, were wearing masks, gloves and dark clothing when they arrived at the door and the man’s 50-year-old son retrieved a firearm and fired at them before they could get inside, according to Johansson.
“This shooting appears to be done in self-defense,” Johansson said. “Two people are in their home, two people wearing masks and dark clothing attempt to break into their house through a rear door.”
The father and son told officers that one of the men appeared to be dead in the backyard and that the other had jumped over a wall, Johansson said.
The one who went over the wall apparently drove away in a gray sedan heading east through the neighborhood, according to Johansson.
Police came upon the body of the other man, described as in his 20s, and medical attendants declared him dead at the scene.
Within about 10 minutes, police were notified about a vehicle being driven recklessly through a parking lot near Tropicana Avenue and Jones Boulevard and then continuing to drive in a reckless manner eastbound on Tropicana.
“Shortly after that call came in, the same vehicle, which was a gray sedan, was involved in an accident where two other vehicles were struck in the area of Tropicana and Decatur (Boulevard),” Johansson said.
When the driver of the gray car exited the vehicle, he was wearing dark clothing and had a gunshot wound in his lower leg that was not life-threatening.
Based on the details of the incident on Iberia Street, the man was arrested after being transferred to a hospital, according to Johansson.
During a news conference about a half-block from the scene, Johansson said investigators would continue to look at surveillance video, try to interview additional witnesses and obtain a search warrant on the house and the gray car at Tropicana and Decatur.
Police were also reviewing records of other recent burglaries in the area that might have a possible connection, including one that happened earlier Wednesday, he said.
The father and son, who were not identified, were “extremely cooperative related to this incident” and not placed under arrest, he said.
“I don’t anticipate there being any charges (against them) based on the details I have right now,” but that decision is up to the Clark County District Attorney’s office, Johansson said.
Contact Jeff Burbank at jburbank@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0382. Follow him @JeffBurbank2 on X.