In the early morning hours of August 29, 2018, the life of 20-year-old Marquaire Ravon Collins, a Black/African American male, was cut tragically short in a violent encounter in a west valley neighborhood of Las Vegas. The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. in front of a home on Redlands Circle, where Collins had arranged to meet with two other individuals.
What was supposed to be a meeting turned into a deadly exchange of gunfire.
Responding to reports of gunshots from concerned neighbors and deputy city marshals in the area, Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived to a grim scene. They found Collins suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, a handgun still in his possession. He was rushed to University Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The Clark County coroner's office would later rule his death a homicide, confirming he died from the multiple gunshot wounds he sustained during the altercation.
The investigation into the shooting led to the identification and arrest of two men, Jaylon Carter and Bennie Sampson. They were subsequently charged with the murder of Marquaire Collins. However, the legal proceedings took a significant turn when the two men, upon securing legal representation, came forward with a claim of self-defense. Their account of the events described a drug deal that had gone wrong, escalating into an armed confrontation.
According to the suspects' statements to the police, the meeting with Collins was for a drug transaction that ultimately resulted in an attempted robbery and an exchange of gunfire. Investigators at the scene found evidence that supported this claim, noting that Collins had fired his weapon at least twice. In light of the evidence and the suspects' assertions of self-defense, prosecutors determined they could not disprove their claims beyond a reasonable doubt. Consequently, the murder charges against both Jaylon Carter and Bennie Sampson were formally dismissed on September 6, 2018, leaving the circumstances of Collins' death officially unresolved in the eyes of the law.
