Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Teenager is arrested in fatal Christmas Eve shooting

Updated Friday, Dec. 28, 2018 | 3:04 p.m.

Jermariun Hickman

Jermariun Hickman

A 17-year-old suspect has been arrested in the death of a teen gunned down Christmas Eve in the parking lot of a North Las Vegas shopping center, police said.

The FBI and North Las Vegas Police took Jermariun Hickman into custody Thursday night in Laughlin, police said.

Hickman is facing a count of murder in the slaying of Kwavontia Thomas, 18, who was fatally wounded about 4:30 p.m. Monday outside the shopping center on Lake Mead Boulevard near Civic Center Street, police said.

A spat between the two, who knew each other, broke out after they ran into each other on a bus, Officer Eric Leavitt said. It wasn't clear what they were arguing about, Leavitt said.

Thomas was shot after they got off the bus, Leavitt said.

Prior to the arrest, authorities had tracked Hickman to Laughlin, about 100 miles south of Las Vegas, where he was linked to several addresses, Leavitt said.

Hickman was being held at the Clark County Detention Center, where he was booked late Thursday, police said.

Further details were not immediately available.