Sister remembers Las Vegas man shot, killed by father

The man shot and killed by his father Tuesday night “looked up to him,” family members said.

Michael Gardenhire, 49, was arrested Tuesday night after he approached police and told them he shot his 20-year-old son Joshua Deshawn Lee, according to a Metropolitan Police Department statement.

Officers were working a routine call at 8:20 p.m. at The Covington at Coronado Ranch, 7800 S. Rainbow Blvd., Tuesday when they heard gunshots from a different building in the complex, according to the arrest report. Gardenhire led police to the apartment, where they found Lee, who died at the scene.

Gardenhire was arrested on one count of murder with a deadly weapon, and he was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

Jasmine Gardenhire, Lee’s sister, said Lee “had a heart of gold.”

Lee was battling depression and recently moved in with their father, Michael Gardenhire, she said.

“He just wanted love from our dad,” she said. “He wanted to be like him.”

Both Lee and his father had a temper, Jasmine Gardenhire said. The two would often argue, although, she doesn’t know the motive behind the shooting.

“I just want to ask him why he did it,” Jasmine Gardenhire said of her father.

Lee leaves behind Jasmine, his brother Jamal, his mother Moniquelee, and his 2-year-old son Joshua Lee Jr. Lee loved music, luxurious cars, shoes and playing video games, Jasmine said. He was very friendly, she said.

“He could make friends with just about anyone,” she said. “He was so smart and outgoing.”

The situation has been tough for the family, Jasmine said.

“God willing, I will try to forgive my dad,” she said.

Lee’s funeral is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Compton, California. The family has created a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise money for funeral expenses.

Contact Jessica Terrones at jterrones@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @JessATerrones on Twitter.