Las Vegas police: Man charged in Palms shooting says it was accidental
The man charged in a fatal shooting at the Palms this past week said his gun fell to the ground and fired accidentally, according to Las Vegas police.
Jim Edward Johnson, 25, of Las Vegas, turned himself in to police Sunday and was booked on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon, according to an arrest report.
Evan Plunkett, 25, of Henderson, died early Friday after being shot the night before during a party at the Fantasy Tower. Plunkett was taken to University Medical Center where he later died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
About 50 people gathered Thursday at the Palms for a party and rap video shoot, police said. Witnesses told police that Plunkett, Plunkett’s brother Thomas Plunkett and Richard Moore were involved in a fight on a patio near a pool just before Plunkett was shot, according to a police report made public Monday.
Thomas Plunkett told police that he was fighting with Moore by the pool when he heard a gunshot and saw his brother lying on the ground.
Moore later flagged down a police officer and said someone named Jones was the shooter. Johnson also goes by the name Jones.
Police later learned that Johnson told another witness, Josh Newman, who also spoke with police, that his gun accidentally fired when it fell, according to the arrest report. Newman told an officer that Johnson owned the gun and that Johnson said he was going to turn himself in.
Johnson went with an attorney to turn himself in about 10 a.m. Sunday. He’s set to appear in court Tuesday and is being held without bail.
Las Vegas police did not release Johnson’s mug shot Monday but said he looked like a man whose image was captured on surveillance video at the Palms. That includes having sleeve-style tattoos on his right and left arms.
Metro’s gang unit initially investigated but then passed the case off to homicide detectives after Evan Plunkett died.
Contact reporter Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391.
