In the early morning hours of September 15, 2014, a dispute in a Las Vegas strip mall parking lot escalated into a fatal encounter for 30-year-old Michael Anthony Johnson. The male victim was with his girlfriend in a vehicle at approximately 3 a.m. near Harmon Avenue and Paradise Road, across from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, when an argument broke out with the occupants of another vehicle.
The situation quickly intensified when Johnson reportedly exited his vehicle and pointed a handgun at the other party. In response, a passenger in the other vehicle drew their own firearm and shot Johnson once in the chest.
When Metro Police officers arrived at the scene, they found Johnson on the ground in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Clark County Coroner's Office later confirmed that his death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the chest.
Investigators interviewed the individual who shot Johnson. Following the initial investigation, the case was to be submitted to the Clark County District Attorney's Office for a determination of whether any charges would be filed. The outcome of that review is not publicly available.
