Police vehicles are shown at a Las Vegas apartment complex near Decatur Boulevard and Meadows Lane, where a fatal shooting occurred Thursday, July 20, 2017.
Published Thursday, July 20, 2017 | 11:22 p.m.
Updated Friday, July 21, 2017 | 1:15 a.m.
A man who'd apparently beat his girlfriend Thursday night was shot and killed by a man the couple encountered while she ran through a central valley apartment complex fleeing from her boyfriend, according to Metro Police.
Officers were dispatched shortly before 10 p.m. to the complex at 211 Mission Laguna Lane, near Meadows Lane and Decatur Boulevard, and encountered a man gravely wounded from a gunshot, said Metro Lt. Dan McGrath early this morning. The man died at the scene within 10 minutes.
As of early this morning, the shooter, who was cooperating with police, hadn't been arrested but was being detained while detectives determined if he fired in self-defense, McGrath said.
Investigators continued to piece together the series of events, but as of this morning here's what they knew:
The man and the woman, who'd been dating for over a decade, were involved in a domestic-violence incident in their apartment, McGrath said. The woman had bloody signs of physical abuse to her face.
The woman was able to flee from her boyfriend and run through the complex, leaving behind a trail of blood, McGrath said. At the complex's parking lot, she found a man the couple apparently knew, who was in his vehicle.
The boyfriend caught up and an argument between the men ensued, McGrath said. The shooter was able to exit his car while this was going on.
A security guard who witnessed the gunfire told detectives that the shooter told the man to back off before pulling the trigger, McGrath said.
In possession of the man who tumbled and fell after being wounded, detectives found a piece of a door, McGrath said. Police later found that the door to the couple's apartment was heavily damaged and was being propped up with screws, possibly after prior violent incidents in the apartment.
Early indications pointed to the couple being involved in previous domestic-violence events, but investigators continued to comb through records, McGrath said.
Speaking about possibly avoiding domestic violence incidents from escalating, McGrath advised the public to cooperate. "If you hear your neighbors yelling and screaming and fighting, please call (police), because that's our job, we'll come out."
The men were only described as being in their 50s.
