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March 19, 2024

Police: Fatal shooting at apartment linked to drug deal

Fatal Shooting at Shelter Island Apartments

Steve Marcus

Metro Police and a crime scene analyst investigate a fatal shooting at the Shelter Island Apartments near Swenson Street and Twain Avenue Thursday, May 25, 2017.

Updated Thursday, May 25, 2017 | 6:45 p.m.

Fatal Shooting at Shelter Island Apartments

Metro homicide Lt. Dan McGrath responds to questions as police investigate a fatal shooting at the Shelter Island Apartments near Swenson Street and Twain Avenue Thursday, May 25, 2017. Launch slideshow »

A man was slain during an apparent drug-sale-related robbery in an apartment at a short-term rental complex east of the Las Vegas Strip this afternoon, according to Metro Police.

Officers responded at 12:01 p.m. to reports of gunshots at the Shelter Island Apartments, 3770 Swenson St., near Twain Avenue, and found a man in the parking lot who might have been pistol-whipped and was bleeding from the head, Metro Lt. Dan McGrath said.

The injured man directed officers to the third floor of a building, where they discovered another man dead in an apartment with multiple gunshot wounds, McGrath said.

He also reported that his 2005 BMW 6 Series convertible was missing, McGrath said. Its color was described as a blue-gray and it had temporary plates.

The man later told detectives at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he was expected to recover, that he, the murder victim and another man had arrived at the apartment to buy drugs, McGrath said. They were met by a group of men and sometime during the transaction, a shooting ensued, at least two weapons were involved and roughly 10 shots were fired, McGrath said.

The man who last rented the apartment, which was only two or three days ago, had not been located, McGrath said.

Detectives continued to piece evidence together early this evening, McGrath said. The injured man was the only identified witness and police were canvassing the complex trying to get a clearer chain of events.

Investigations at short-term rental complexes or with witnesses involved in criminal activities, such as buying drugs, can be challenging, McGrath said. For one, it may be tough to find witnesses willing to speak, and people in criminal activities could try to skew their recollection.

For now, the injured man appeared to be forthcoming, but investigators continued to vet his story, McGrath said.

Felicia O'Brien, who'd just picked up her second-grader from school, lives two units away from where the gunshots erupted, but didn't hear the gunshots. She recalls men hanging out at that unit the past couple of days.

She's been living at the complex for less than three weeks and said she considered it a safe home, but now, "I don't know what kind of place that we live in. (It's) a little freaky."

People, including children, made their way around the police tape; some of them filmed on their phones. Detectives walked up and down the stairs of the turquoise-color, three-story building.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Metro at 702-828-3521 or by email at [email protected]. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or online at crimestoppersofnv.com. Tips leading directly to an arrest or indictment processed through Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward.