Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Live streamer arrested after coaxing homeless man into fatal stunt

Keonte Jones

metro police

Keonte Jones

Updated Wednesday, July 15, 2020 | 7:35 p.m.

Streaming live on Facebook while laughing hysterically, a man flashes two bills and explains to his audience that he’d offered a homeless man $6 to perform a backflip.

Larry Coner, 55, lands two cartwheels on June 20 before attempting the dangerous feat. On the third try, he lands on his neck, lying motionless for minutes while Keonte Jones and a group of bystanders explode in laughter and celebration of the man’s injuries.

Coner died from a spinal injury at University Medical Center 10 days later, while Jones was booked Tuesday into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of willful disregard of a person’s safety, a felony. He’s since posted bail, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records.

Metro Police on Wednesday publicized the case and linked to a 10-minute video of the incident.

Police said Coner approached Jones, asking for money. Sometime after, Jones presses record and broadcasts the dare to his Facebook followers.

“He sleep! He sleep! (sic),” Jones proclaims when Coner lands on his neck.

The group of people who’d gathered around Jones laugh uncontrollably. The video shows a man checking on Coner, who is not moving.

Meanwhile, others continue celebrating. “He hit a backflip and went to sleep,” Jones roars, repeatedly reminding his audience that he offered the man money.

Still laughing, Jones tells the man who tended to Coner to leave him alone, that he’s going to be “all right.”

“Here, here, take your $6,” he says as he stands above Coner, who is barely moving, his arm draped over his head. Two others try to help Coner to his feet, but he’s not moving.

Eventually, an older woman appears in frame and tries to provide aid to Coner, eventually calling 911. 

Jones persists with raucous howls, proud of what he’d done. 

“That (expletive) landed on his neck! Look at him. Look at him!” Jones exclaims, repeating that he has Coner’s $6, flashing the money numerous times, but noting that he didn’t want the older woman stealing it. 

Jones tells the group not to call an ambulance. 

A confrontation erupts when at least two other women approach the group of men who’d gathered. It wasn’t clear what exactly they were arguing about, but it appeared like they were advocating for the victim.

When they notice the man not moving for several minutes, Jones quiets momentarily before resuming his rollicking commentary. “Bro, it’s so funny,” he says, acknowledging that Coner broke his neck.

“I knew it was gonna be antics though. Oh (expletive)! That (expletive) was funny bro,” Jones says, adding that he’s never seen anything funnier. 

During the video, people commenting live cheer Jones on, some express how wrong he was, especially as the man lay motionless. 

Metro linked to Coner’s sister’s Facebook page, where she shared the video this week. “I miss you (so) much,” she wrote. “I cry every day, sometimes I can’t keep my food down."

She noted that the last time the siblings spoke, he pleaded with her to come get him from Las Vegas. “I HATE I COULDN’T,” she said, adding that he suffered from mental illness and that he died on the anniversary of his mother’s death two years before.

The woman did not immediately respond to a message from the Sun seeking further comment. 

A GoFundMe account was set up by the family.