Police investigate homicide in northeast Las Vegas
A man was fatally shot Monday in a vacant home, and Las Vegas police suspect the crime was drug-related.
At 7:05 a.m. Monday, a woman called 911 requesting a welfare check on the 5800 block of East Carey Avenue, near North Nellis and East Lake Mead boulevards, after hearing what sounded like a man groaning.
When Clark County Fire Department emergency personnel entered the vacant home, they found a man in his 30s on the floor with at least one gunshot wound and requested the Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit, Lt. Dan McGrath said. Police later said the man had been shot in the upper torso several times.
Based on a number of tattoos on the man’s body, McGrath said it is possible he had some gang affiliations. But McGrath said the initial investigation, as of Monday afternoon, showed that the killing likely was related to narcotics rather than gang activity.
Residents on the street described the northeast Las Vegas home as a “problem place with possible drug activity in and out of the home,” McGrath said. It is unclear how long the home had been vacant, but police said the owner of the property was cooperating with the investigation.
Neighbors said they did not hear any gunshots early Monday, but police believe the man had been killed no more than 12 hours before his body was found. A number of neighbors also told detectives that they had heard arguing and a dog barking early Monday.
Homicide detectives are talking to neighbors and reviewing any home security surveillance in the surrounding area.
The Clark County coroner will identify the homicide victim once his family has been notified. His death was the 207th homicide in the county this year, and the 184th investigated by Metro. Those numbers include the 58 shooting deaths during the Oct. 1 attack on the Strip.
Anyone with information about Monday’s homicide may call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.
