On the evening of Thursday, September 14, 2017, a dispute in Las Vegas, Nevada, tragically escalated, leading to the death of a 40-year-old Black / African American man named Gordon Phillips Jr. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. in front of a business located on the 1200 block of Las Vegas Boulevard North, situated between Washington and Owens avenues.
According to police reports, the altercation began after two men exited a black pickup truck and started arguing with Phillips.
While surveillance footage from a nearby business captured the argument, it did not record the shooting itself. During the confrontation, Phillips sustained multiple gunshot wounds. First responders found him at the scene, and he was quickly transported to University Medical Center. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The Clark County coroner's office later officially ruled his death a homicide.
In the days following the shooting, homicide detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department were able to identify a suspect. On Friday, the day after the incident, police arrested 30-year-old Michael McNair in connection with the fatal shooting. McNair was taken into custody and booked at the Clark County Detention Center, where he was held without bail on a first-degree murder charge.
