In the early hours of August 10, 2021, a dispute over rent in a Las Vegas home escalated into a tragic and fatal shooting. Dawn Kelley Paynter, a 57-year-old woman, was one of two women who lost their lives in the violence that erupted that day. The incident occurred at a residence on the 200 block of West Chicago Avenue, where the homeowner, 78-year-old Arnoldo Sanchez, was renting out rooms to tenants.
An argument broke out between Sanchez and one of the female tenants concerning
unpaid rent. This confrontation took a deadly turn when Sanchez allegedly produced a firearm and shot three of his tenants. When police arrived at the scene around 12:25 a.m., they discovered a woman in the front yard with gunshot wounds. Inside the home, they found Dawn Paynter, who had been fatally shot in the left arm and torso. A man was also discovered to have been shot nine times, but he was expected to survive his injuries.
The Clark County coroner's office later officially identified Dawn Paynter and ruled her death a homicide due to the gunshot wounds. The other deceased female victim was identified as 53-year-old Pauline Wilson, who also died from gunshot wounds.
Following the incident, Arnoldo Sanchez was arrested and taken into custody at the Clark County Detention Center. He faces serious charges, including two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and one count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon. He was held without bail pending his court appearance.
