Suspect in Las Vegas shooting, which claimed life of K9 Nicky, dies from wounds
The man police believe killed two people before officers shot him multiple times in a March incident that also resulted in the death of police K-9 Nicky has died.
James Craig Simpson, 31, was pronounced dead early Friday morning at University Medical Center, the Clark County coroner’s office said. His cause of death was listed as “complications resulting from multiple gunshot wounds,” and his death was ruled a homicide.
On March 31, Simpson was shot multiple times by police officers responding to 9898 Fast Elk St., near Log Cabin and North El Capitan ways, after Simpson’s mother called reporting his erratic behavior while wielding a gun, police said.
Officers sent in K-9 Nicky, who had just returned to duty less than a month before he was killed, after surviving a machete attack in February, while trying to apprehend Simpson.
According to police, when K-9 Nicky was sent in, Simpson picked the gun back up from the ground and started running away, before firing one round at police.
The officers then fired back 23 rounds at Simpson, who had been bitten by Nicky several times.
Metropolitan Police Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said one of those 23 rounds killed Nicky.
Simpson was hit by two handgun rounds and four shotgun pellets, police said.
After the officer-involved shooting, police discovered the bodies of Brandon Hughes, 31, and his mother, Felecia Wimberly-Hughes, 46, neighbors of Simpson’s mother.
From his hospital bed at University Medical Center, Simpson was booked in absentia for two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, and one count of attempted murder and first-degree kidnapping.
Contact Christian Bertolaccini at cbertolaccini@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find @bertolaccini on Twitter.