Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Witness, in court, describes sidewalk shooting in southeast valley

Tyten Kaehu-Scanlan

Tyten Kaehu-Scanlan

A 19-year-old man charged with fatally shooting his ex-stepfather last month in southeast Las Vegas will have his first appearance in Clark County District Court in two weeks.

Metro Police say Tyten Kaehu-Scanlan shot 44-year-old Blackie Pele multiple times June 6 at the corner of Windmill Parkway and La Serna Street after a longstanding feud between the two men.

Kaehu-Scanlan was bound over Tuesday morning to District Court after a preliminary hearing before Justice of the Peace Eric A. Goodman. Kaehu-Scanlan’s first appearance in District Court will be at 10:30 a.m. July 18 on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon.

Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clowers brought two witnesses to testify during the preliminary hearing — a driver on Windmill Parkway who saw the shooting and a homicide detective who responded to the scene. Public Defender Christy Craig, who is assigned to Kaehu-Scanlan’s case, cross-examined the prosecution’s witnesses but did not bring forward any additional witnesses.

The first witness testified she was driving west on Windmill Parkway the morning of June 6 when she heard a popping noise and looked to her right, where she saw a man fall to the street.

The woman said she slowed her car — thinking the man needed help — but a few seconds later, another man walked up to the victim and shot him in the back three to four times.

The witness testified that she sped away, parked at a strip mall at the corner of Windmill Parkway and Eastern Avenue and immediately called her husband. Her husband then contacted police.

The witness said she never saw the shooter’s face, but she was able to later identify Kaehu-Scanlan as the suspect to police by his clothes, skin color and profile.

Detective Christopher Bunn, the prosecution’s other witness, testified that Kaehu-Scanlan admitted to shooting his ex-stepfather after the pair exchanged words near Windmill Parkway and La Serna Street.

Kaehu-Scanlan told detectives Pele never threatened his life or struck him during the encounter, Bunn testified in court. Bunn said Kaehu-Scanlan initially denied knowing his ex-stepfather would be in the neighborhood but later reversed that statement during the interview.

At the time of the shooting, Pele was en route to pick up his biological children from the home of Kaehu-Scanlan’s mother on Begonia Avenue, according to an arrest report.

Bunn testified that Kaehu-Scanlan told detectives that he “went home and chilled” immediately after the shooting. He surrendered without incident when officers arrived.

Bunn also told the court that Kaehu-Scanlan described a volatile relationship between him and his ex-stepfather, who he said attempted to sexually assault a relative. Kaehu-Scanlan, however, told detectives the shooting was not related to the attempted sexual assault, Bunn testified.

Bunn told the court Kaehu-Scanlan also alleged that he had been the victim of severe abuse by Pele over the years.

An autopsy by the Clark County Coroner’s Office determined Pele suffered five gunshot wounds during the shooting. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kaehu-Scanlan remains in the Clark County Detention Center without bond.

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