Community groups raise more than $30K to aid waiter badly wounded in shooting

Las Vegas police said Monday that they have arrested a man in connection with the shooting of a waiter at ShangHai Taste.

Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 23, was taken into custody on Monday afternoon after a citizen tip, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Police had previously identified him as the suspect in the shooting of Chengyan Wang, a waiter at ShangHai Taste.

Police said a masked gunman stormed into the restaurant near Wynn Road at 2:55 a.m. on Dec. 20, then shot Wang 11 times. Wang has since undergone multiple surgeries and is recovering in the Intensive Care Unit at University Medical Center, restaurant co-owner Joe Muscaglione said Monday.

Gaston-Anderson is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on charges of attempted murder and attempted robbery.

Numerous fundraisers had collected more than $33,000 for Wang as of Monday afternoon, as the Las Vegas community rallied to support him.

Spring Valley area command captain Michelle Tavarez said there was no evidence to indicate the shooting of Wang was a hate crime. Instead, it is believed to be a burglary that likely has connections to a previously unreported burglary in the same shopping complex about 10 days prior to the shooting.

“It appears to be a burglary gone wrong,” Tavarez said. “We believe the suspect came into the building to make a quick buck… and he encountered our victim. We are so grateful he is alive and survived. It is not every day that someone gets shot 11 times and lives through it. God was on his side.”

District Court records show Gaston-Anderson pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny in 2018 and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. He was charged in November with burglary and grand larceny and on Dec. 6 with pandering and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records.

The Las Vegas Valley has rallied to support Wang by raising more than $33,000 to help him recover from his injuries.

“His condition is more stable,” Muscaglione said. “He’s a little bit more talkative but it is a struggle. He requested porridge so (Jimmy Li, chef and co-owner of ShangHai Taste) made it and brought it to him yesterday. He couldn’t eat much but that was his first spoonful of food. It’s encouraging as much as it is heart-wrenching to see him struggle.”

Wang is expected to survive. Doctors, however, still don’t know what his long-term health prognosis will be. Some of the gunshot wounds he suffered were to the neck and abdomen.

Muscaglione said the restaurant plans to cover bills for Wang that workers compensation and insurance don’t cover. Sonny Vinuya, president of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce, said a GoFundMe fundraiser for Wang has raised more than $19,400 as of Monday morning.

“We wanted to help,” Vinuya said. “We’ve had robberies in the past in Chinatown, but not a shooting like this. This was different.

“This particular gentleman is living here by himself, sending money to support his family in China, so there are a lot of different things that go into this. I’m sure he is worried about recovery time, what is he going to live on and providing support for his family, so we decided to start a GoFundMe.”

Vinuya said one member of the chamber has donated to help cover the cost of an interpreter and caretaker for Wang once he is released from the hospital. Meanwhile, the Asian Community Development Council is also holding a fundraiser on the mightycause website. That fundraiser has raised more than $13,900.

“This attack on a member of our community was senseless and vicious,” the council said in a written statement. “We are heartbroken and angry that this attack happened in the heart of our home at Shanghai Plaza.”

Eric Jeng, director of outreach for the council, said businesses in Chinatown and the Las Vegas Valley Asian community are committed to strengthening already existing relationships with the Metropolitan Police Department. He said the community response in support of Wang is remarkable, noting all money raised will go directly to Wang and his family.

“I think it is really beautiful to see our community coming together to raise money, raise awareness and do public education on the need for safety and protection for our community,” Jeng said.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter. Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.