A quiet Monday morning in Reno was shattered by sudden and indiscriminate violence on July 28, 2025, claiming the life of 66-year-old Hispanic male Angel Martinez. A longtime Reno-Sparks resident, Martinez was driving through the parking lot of the Grand Sierra Resort when a gunman unleashed a barrage of bullets just after 7:25 a.m. near the valet area.
Martinez, who had worked in area casinos for over three decades, often stopped at the resort for a cup of coffee to unwind after his overnight shifts. Tragically, this simple, peaceful routine placed him in the path of a deadly rampage. He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
The attack unfolded rapidly as the shooter, later identified as 26-year-old Dakota Hawver of Reno, fired approximately 80 rounds from a 9mm handgun. Before fatally shooting Martinez as he was driving away, Hawver had already shot several people near the valet stand. Two other men were killed in the attack: Justin Agulia, 33, and Andrew Canepa, 33, both visitors from Southern California who were in town for a bachelor party and waiting for a ride to the airport. Three other individuals were also wounded but were expected to survive. Responding security and Reno police officers engaged in a shootout with Hawver, who was struck by gunfire.
Investigators have found no connection between the gunman and any of the victims, nor have they established a motive for the senseless attack. Hawver, who had no known criminal or mental health history, died from his injuries in a hospital two days after the shooting. With the suspect deceased, no arrests have been made in the case, though the investigation remains open. Angel Martinez was remembered by his family as a devoted father, grandfather, and a loving brother to ten siblings. He had been looking forward to his upcoming retirement in November to care for his 88-year-old mother and had recently gotten a passport for a planned trip to visit a brother he hadn't seen in 15 years.
