On April 24, 2016, a fatal shooting occurred at the Liberty Village Apartments in the 3500 block of Dromedary Way, near North Nellis Boulevard and East Cheyenne Avenue in Las Vegas, Nevada. The victim, identified as 27-year-old Damion Dwain Thomas from Pasadena, California, died from multiple gunshot wounds. The incident was part of a series of shootings over the weekend, marking the fifth homicide in Las Vegas during that period.
The shooting took place around 2 p.m.
when a confrontation between two groups of people escalated into a violent exchange of gunfire. Witnesses reported hearing at least 10-12 gunshots and seeing two men running through the apartment complex with a gun. One witness, Brianna Richardson, described the scene: 'It was a good 10-12 gunshots and then it stopped for a couple seconds and then started going again. It sounded like a really loud banging noise and then we started seeing people run back.'.
According to Metro Lt. Jeff Goodwin, the altercation began as a fight between the two groups, which then led to the firing of several rounds. The police investigation indicated that the shooting may have been related to a transaction gone bad, possibly involving the buying and selling of firearms or narcotics.
Damion Dwain Thomas was pronounced dead at University Medical Center due to his injuries. In addition to Thomas, three other people were confirmed to have been shot, including 21-year-old Tevin Alhashemi, who was found with gunshot wounds to his leg. Alhashemi was later arrested and charged with one count of owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person, as he had a previous conviction for first-degree burglary in 2013.
The police recovered at least four guns from the scene, including one that was thrown into a dumpster. They also found marijuana and pills that had been discarded in the dumpster. The investigation involved reviewing surveillance video from the apartment complex's front desk to gather more details about the incident.
As for the suspects, the police were looking for at least one individual described as a black male with a long dreadlock ponytail, wearing basketball shorts. This suspect was believed to have fled the scene in a silver pickup truck. Despite the arrest of Tevin Alhashemi, he was not considered the primary suspect in Thomas's murder. Instead, he was one of the victims who was also involved in the altercation and subsequently arrested for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
No arrests were made in connection with Damion Dwain Thomas's murder at the time of the reports. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department continued to investigate the incident, seeking any information that could lead to the identification and apprehension of the suspects involved. The public was urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section or Crime Stoppers with any relevant information.
