On the evening of April 3, 2016, Raquel Latasha Stapinski, a 41-year-old Black woman, was at a neighbor's birthday party at the Lantana Apartments on West Charleston Boulevard in Las Vegas. What began as a celebration turned into a scene of chaos and violence when a confrontation erupted between attendees of that party and another nearby gathering. The dispute escalated from a physical fight in the parking lot to gunfire.
During the shootout, Stapinski was struck by a bullet and tragically lost her life. The Clark County coroner's office later confirmed that she died from a gunshot wound to the right arm and armpit, and her death was ruled a homicide. Investigators found numerous shell casings at the scene, suggesting that at least eight to ten shots were fired.
For more than three years, the case remained unresolved. Then, in August 2019, a significant breakthrough occurred when Las Vegas police arrested 37-year-old Henry Taylor. He was charged with open murder in connection with Stapinski's death. The investigation also identified a second individual, Tuly Lepolo, who was also charged with murder. At the time of Taylor's arrest, there was an active warrant for Lepolo's arrest.
