Andrew Canepa, 33, a White male, was killed on the morning of July 28, 2025, when a gunman opened fire outside the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada. He and his close friend were standing in the valet area after a bachelor party trip, waiting for a ride to the airport, when the first bursts of gunfire tore through the morning. By the time the shooting stopped, three people had been killed, including Canepa, and several others were wounded.
Authorities later detailed that the attack began around 7:30 a.m. and that there was no indication the victims knew the shooter or that the casino itself was a target beyond the moment he chose to strike.
Investigators identified the suspect as 26-year-old Reno resident Dakota Hawver, who used a legally purchased 9 mm handgun and ultimately fired about 80 rounds in and around the resort's valet and parking areas. After an exchange of gunfire that included a casino security guard and responding officers, police shot Hawver and took him into custody. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition and died there days later. Detectives have reported no prior criminal history for Hawver, no known connection to the victims or the resort, and no clear motive for the attack. The investigation, led by local authorities, has not publicly established what led to the outburst of violence.
In the days that followed, the outlines of Canepa's life came into focus in the tributes left behind. He was a father and the co-owner of Side Street Café in Newbury Park, California, remembered as warm and generous by the community that gathered outside the café to leave flowers and candles. Local officials and friends shared messages of grief, and fundraisers were set up to support his family. Across Ventura County, where he lived and worked, the loss felt immediate and personal, as customers and neighbors spoke about a man who anchored their mornings and greeted them by name.
As for arrests or additional suspects, police have not announced any beyond the shooter himself. With Hawver shot by officers, taken into custody, and later pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities have consistently said there is no evidence of accomplices and no additional arrests stemming from the attack. The case remains a homicide investigation marked by unanswered questions about motive, but by all public accounts, the violent act was carried out by a single individual acting alone.
