Graciela Gomez was a 22-year-old Hispanic woman and a specialist in the Nevada Army National Guard. A graduate of Las Vegas High School, she was a member of the Las Vegas-based 17th Sustainment Brigade. Her commanding officer remembered her as an “exceptional soldier” with a “positive attitude and steadfast work ethic,” praising her for her dedicated service on the COVID-19 Task Force during the pandemic.
A former teacher recalled her as an enthusiastic and lovely young woman who was adored by everyone.
On Halloween morning, October 31, 2021, Graciela attended a house party in east Las Vegas. The party, held at a residence on the 200 block of Beesley Drive, had been advertised on social media and grew uncontrollably large. Just after midnight, a group of five men arrived but were denied entry.
Shortly after being turned away, just before 1 a.m., the men returned in a vehicle. They drove past the house and fired multiple gunshots into the home from the street. Three women inside were struck by the gunfire. Graciela suffered a fatal gunshot wound to her abdomen and was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital. The two other women sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department began investigating the drive-by shooting, describing the suspects as five unknown men. By January 2022, investigators reported that leads in the case had “dried up” and made a public plea for tips. In October 2022, police released surveillance video showing the suspects’ vehicle driving by the residence, firing into it, and fleeing the scene. The video was released in the hope that it would help someone remember a detail that could identify those responsible.
As of October 2022, no arrests have been made in connection with Graciela Gomez’s death, and the case remains an unsolved homicide. Police have announced that reward money is available through Crime Stoppers for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Section at 702-828-3521 or, to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers of Nevada at 702-385-5555.
