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5 shot at northeast Las Vegas birthday party

Five people were shot, including two who suffered critical injuries, after a 50th birthday surprise party turned into a shooting Sunday morning in northeast Las Vegas.

Officers spoke to more than a dozen witnesses who were celebrating just before 1 a.m. in the backyard of a home on the 4800 block of Holt Avenue, near North Nellis Boulevard, when gunfire rang out and struck one person, according to an arrest report from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Partygoers charged at the suspect, later identified by police as Alberto Santacruz, 36. Detectives said Santacruz fired eight more shots at the crowd chasing him, striking four more people.

One witness told police he stepped on Santacruz’ hand and kicked the gun into the street. The crowd held the suspect down while they waited for police.

One person was shot in the back and another was shot in the chest, leaving them both in critical condition, according to the arrest report.

Detectives said Santacruz was identified at the hospital, where he was being treated for facial injuries. He was a registered felon and not a U.S. citizen, police said.

Clark County District Court records showed Santacruz and five others were charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and robbery in 2006, but Santacruz pleaded guilty to kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Prosecutors said the six people charged beat a man and threatened to kill him over $50,000 in missing money related to meth transactions.

In 2015, Santacruz was sentenced to a year of probation after he pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance.

Santacruz is being held without bail. He faces five counts of attempted murder, five counts of battery with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a gun.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.

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