South Point Hotel Casino & Spa security guards shot and killed a man who had fired a handgun near the valet area of the resort Sunday afternoon. He was shot about 50 feet from the valet area, in the parking lot.
It was the second homicide investigated by Las Vegas police within five hours. A block away a stabbing had taken place the same morning.
The shooting took place at 4:30 p.m. after it was reported that a 40-year old man, possibly homeless, was leaving the valet area with a handgun. He fired one shot into the air, according to a police spokesman.
When he attempted to leave the parking lot to go back into the casino, two security guards blocked him. They gave him verbal commands that he apparently disregarded. He aimed his gun at them for half a minute before they shot him multiple times.
Police spokesman Lt. Ray Spencer praised the guards: “Those security officers showed a tremendous amount of strength due to the fact that there were concerns for their backdrop being the valet area of the hotel.” He added, “Any of the guests at this property should feel safe.”
He told reporters that the gunman “may have had a malfunction” and was trying to clear it.
Earlier in the day detectives investigated a stabbing that occurred at 11:30 a.m. at a timeshare resort at Las Vegas Boulevard. He was found in a hallway on the ninth floor of the Grandview after fighting with a group of people at a birthday party.
Police are searching for eight possible suspects who fled the scene after the fatal stabbing.
Local residents say they are worried over the recent rash of violent crime on the Las Vegas Strip.
A local resident, Janet Kidd, told News 3 Las Vegas, “There’s too much violence going on down there, and I just don’t feel safe.” She plans to avoid the strip in the future.
Sheila Herckis added, “There’s too much crime here in the past couple of months. Before the COVID I would go on the Strip, kill a couple of hours. Not now. I’m home at 4:00. I just have to do an errand here.”
Year to date, aggravated assaults are up 28.98 percent and violent crimes are up 0.71 percent.
In response to an increase of violence on the Strip, Wynn Resorts is bulking up its security measures on weekends in Las Vegas.
Metal detectors will greet patrons entering Wynn and Encore properties and they will be asked to submit to bag checks, much like they would in an airport. These measures will be in effect Friday-Sunday.
Wynn will also be deploying more security guards, many of who had earlier careers in law enforcement—including former FBI agents, counterterrorism operators, embassy security and former members of the military—and will deploy more Metro Police officers.
Marilyn Spiegel, president of Wynn’s Las Vegas operations, released this statement: “These changes to our security program are devised to ensure our guests can continue to enjoy those experiences in a relaxed and safe atmosphere.”
The Metropolitan Police Department recently reported that violence has increased in the city’s tourist corridor. What brought national attention to this issue was a YouTube video showing a melee of several people attacking guests and security at the Encore in a hallway.
Wynn is also raising its starting hotel rates.
Other casino companies are not following suit just yet. MGM Resorts International spokes Brian Ahern commented, “We work very closely with Metro as they work diligently to reduce crime both on the Strip and off. We don’t believe that recent high-profile incidents are reflective of Las Vegas and the safety of our properties on the Strip.”
When Park MGM reopened recently, MGM President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle said Las Vegas remains a safe destination. “Las Vegas has always been an exciting and fun place to come to. It’s incumbent upon us to keep it that way,” he said. “We believe, ultimately and fundamentally, Las Vegas will return to where it was.”
