A 15-year-old was taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of his father in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The teenager “was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, open murder, and booked into the Clark County Juvenile Hall,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a press release.
In Nevada, open murder is a legal term covering possible charges ranging from first- and second-degree murder to voluntary and involuntary homicide. A more specific charge may follow.
Newsweek reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for more information.
Why It Matters
Nearly 10 percent more U.S. juveniles were accused of violent crimes last year compared to 2022, according to data released by the FBI in September. Violent crimes involving all ages, however, dropped during the same stretch, according to bureau data.
The FBI’s annual “Summary of Crime in the Nation” stated that suspects in violent crimes who were younger than 18 increased from 31,302 in 2022 to 34,413 in 2023.
What to Know
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 6600 block of Tampa Court at around 8:40 p.m.
Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Experience Strategy Associates
Responding officers found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds inside of the residence. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect had left the home before they arrived, but he was found shortly after in the 5500 block of Balzar Avenue, nearby.
He was taken into custody without incident, according to police. As a juvenile, the suspect’s identity cannot be released, unless a court allows it.
Detectives determined that the 15-year-old suspect was the son of the victim. The son and father, along with other family members, allegedly engaged in a verbal argument prior to the fatal shooting.
Police said that at some point during the argument, the suspect grabbed a firearm and shot his father.
The identity of the victim and cause and manner of death will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.
Another fatal shooting happened in the city on December 23. Officers responded to the 900 block of West Owens Avenue and found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds inside of a business. He was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. Another man was found critically injured in the parking lot outside of the business.
Police did not identify a suspect in that incident, which remains under investigation by homicide detectives.
In 2022, Nevada ranked 16 for highest firearm mortality rate in the U.S. with a rate of 18.9 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. As of December 20, there were 104 reported murders in the city of Las Vegas, according to weekly statistics compiled by the police department. Most of those deaths were by gunshot.
The Las Vegas murder toll this year represents a 23.5 percent decrease from last year, when WalletHub named Las Vegas among the cities with the biggest homicide rate problems.
Police said they have a 92 percent clearance rate this year as of December 20, with eight open cases remaining.
What Happens Next
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section is investigating Saturday’s incident. They have 48 hours in which to take him to court to face formal charges.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521 or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers via phone at 702-385-5555 or online.
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