The tail end of the Las Vegas Strip was the site of a violent and cumbersome incident Monday that started as an argument at a convenience store. Before it was over, three people were shot and a suspect got struck by a car while running away from a crash.
The entire tumult took place in a relatively contained commercial area. It is not directly near any casinos.
But complete street closures in both directions for several hours, especially at rush hour, would have affected anyone trying to get from the Strip to the landmark STRAT Hotel and Casino or to downtown Las Vegas.
It came as gaming properties and hotels along the Strip have begun to attract higher numbers of players and visitors as more people receive vaccines against COVID-19.
Since the start of this year, the occupancy rate at Las Vegas hotel-casinos has gone up 10.4 percentage points from January to February. State restrictions also now allow for 50 percent capacity on gaming floors, up from 35 percent.
Still, largely due to a lack of convention business, Las Vegas properties averaged only 42 percent occupancy in February, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Incident Began at 7-Eleven
Initially, Monday’s argument broke out at about 4 pm in a 7-Eleven convenience store on Las Vegas Boulevard near Charleston Boulevard.
The dispute continued outside the store, where three people were shot, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Then, four suspects sped away in a red Dodge Neon on Las Vegas Boulevard. The car traveled south on the Strip.
Metro police officers spotted the Neon and tried to stop it. But the driver of the Neon continued to speed away.
Officers started to chase the car. A Metro helicopter and several police cars took part in the pursuit.
The Neon later collided with two unconnected vehicles in the area between the Sahara Las Vegas and the STRAT.
Once the Neon could not be driven, four people in the car attempted to run away. One of them was struck by an oncoming car and suffered injuries.
Several Injured People
The injured person was undergoing treatment Monday night at University Medical Center’s (UMC) trauma unit. The patient’s condition was not immediately known Tuesday.
Another person who fled from the Neon also suffered injuries. They appeared to be minor. But the individual was transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center for treatment.
At least one person involved in the incident had life-threatening injuries as of Monday.
Also, the three people who were wounded were taken to UMC for treatment.
By the time the incident was over, four individuals were apprehended by police. It was unclear what they were charged with.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call 311, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.
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