Suspect arrested in shooting of two soccer players at park

By Paul Takahashi

Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 | 6:15 p.m.

North Las Vegas Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting two women at northwest valley park on Jan. 19.

Ezra Peoples, 18, of Las Vegas, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, according to a Metro Police press release.

Peoples was also charged with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of first-degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery from an unrelated incident that happened last Wednesday.

Peoples was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a $120,000 bail, according to the jail records.

Peoples allegedly shot two female tourists playing in an international soccer match on the morning of Jan. 19. The shooting occurred at the Teton Trails Park, near Grand Teton Drive and North Bradley Road, according to an arrest report.

The two women were standing on the sidelines of the soccer game when they felt sharp pains. One woman was struck on her right leg and the other was grazed on the side of her left breast, the report said.

Both women were taken to University Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.

A police investigation indicated Peoples — who lives a short distance from the soccer field — intentionally shot at the two women, according to the report.

Witnesses told police they heard gunfire — "pops" and a whistling sound — coming from the housing complex east of the park. Officers knocked on nearby homes, but did not find a suspect.

A witness found a .22-caliber bullet on the ground near one of the shooting victims. A bullet that struck the other woman left fragments in her leg.

On Saturday, North Las Vegas Police arrested Peoples and a male friend. They were found carrying a .22-caliber rifle suspected in the park shooting, police said.

Metro officers talked with the two men in jail. Peoples' friend told police they had been friends for about four years and had met in ninth grade. The friend told police the following, which was allegedly confided to him by Peoples:

Peoples allegedly was angry with his family on the day of the shooting and decided to shoot at people. Peoples took a .22-caliber rifle with a scope from under his bed and fired it at people in the park from a window in his house, the friend said.

Police conducted a search warrant of Peoples' house and found several guns, including two .22-caliber rifles with scopes. One of the rifles — matching the friend's description — was found in Peoples' bedroom.

Detectives indicated the bedroom windows, located on the southwest corner of the house, faced the park.

Peoples is scheduled to appear in court at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to face the attempted murder charges. He is expected in court again at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 19 to face the other charges.