In the early evening of September 5, 2014, in North Las Vegas, Nevada, 20-year-old Andrea Lafon was fatally shot while sitting in her car with a friend. The incident occurred around 7:15 p.m. near the intersection of Ann Road and Losee Road, in the 2600 block of Small Mountain Avenue. Lafon was struck by a gunshot to the head and was rushed to University Medical Center in extremely critical condition.
She succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead the following morning.
Initial investigations by the North Las Vegas police suggested the shooting was the result of a drug deal that had gone wrong. Lafon and her friend were reportedly meeting with individuals on foot to sell marijuana. An argument broke out, during which one of the individuals pulled out a gun and fired into the vehicle, hitting Lafon. Police did not believe the act was random.
A significant development in the case came on September 11, 2014, when police arrested 16-year-old Patrick Wayne Harper, a student at Mojave High School. He was identified by a witness and was set to be charged as an adult with murder. According to a police report, the dispute arose when Lafon refused to sell Harper $40 worth of marijuana for $35.
However, the case against Harper was dropped just a few weeks after his arrest. His lawyer presented surveillance video evidence that showed Harper at a convenience store miles away from the crime scene, buying a slushy drink just minutes before the shooting occurred. This alibi led to his release from custody. Since the release of the initial suspect, no other arrests have been made in connection with Andrea Lafon's murder, and the case has grown cold. Her family and friends have held vigils to keep her memory alive and to encourage anyone with information to come forward, but her killer remains at large.
