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Sunday, April 28, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal MOTORCYCLE GANG VIOLENCE: Laughlin event turns deadly Hells Angels, Mongols clash inside casino By LISA KIM BACH
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Dozens of members of rival motorcycle gangs battled inside Harrah's Laughlin with guns, knives and hammers early Saturday. Three people were killed and another 13 were taken to area hospitals with gunshot and stab wounds. Police said as many as 70 people participated in the melee, which occurred during the Laughlin River Run, a popular five-day event that annually attracts 40,000 to 80,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to the casino town 80 miles south of Las Vegas. State archivist Guy Rocha said this was the first time in Nevada history that more than one person was killed inside a casino. "We know of nothing of this magnitude happening inside a casino in the history of gambling since 1931, when gambling was legalized in Nevada," Rocha said. "This is something very new on the landscape." Police and witnesses said the incident involved members of two rival motorcycle gangs, the Mongols and the Hells Angels. One person was charged in the incident. Police would not release his name or the charges filed against him. Police said all of the people killed or wounded were members of motorcycle gangs. By late afternoon, nine men still were being treated at area hospitals for gunshot and knife wounds. A University Medical Center spokesman said a 47-year-old man was listed in critical condition. Three men -- ages 43, 31 and 29 -- were listed in serious condition, while a 51-year-old man was in fair condition. Ruth Padilla, spokeswoman for Arizona Western Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City, said four men were hospitalized there in fair condition. Three others were treated and released earlier in the day. Also Saturday, California authorities were investigating the slaying of a motorcycle gang member whose body was discovered along Interstate 40 about one hour after the Laughlin incident. The highway is the main road linking Laughlin to Southern California. Chip Patterson, spokesman for the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department, said a passing motorist saw the body and a downed motorcycle in the westbound lane about 3:10 a.m. The body was discovered about 100 miles from Laughlin. California Highway Patrol troopers found bullet casings in the roadway and observed that the man had several apparent gunshot wounds, Patterson said. Authorities had not determined whether the man's death was linked to the Laughlin incident. "We are going on the premise he was likely in Laughlin just prior to this, due to the fact there was such a large number of motorcycle club members there," Patterson said. The victim, described as a 29-year-old man from the San Diego area, was wearing clothing identifying him as a member of a motorcycle gang. Patterson declined to specify the man's gang affiliation. A law enforcement source said he was a member of the Hells Angels. Las Vegas police, in whose jurisdiction Laughlin is located, interviewed hundreds of witnesses to the incident at Harrah's Laughlin. Police released few details of the event, refusing to disclose the number of shooters and the number of people in custody pending the filing of formal charges. "An intensive police effort is under way to identify any other victims, witnesses and suspects," Lt. Vincent Cannito said. Law enforcement officers arrived in the casino while the shootings were in progress, shortly after 2:15 a.m. Police said two officers fired their weapons at the scene. One was described as an accidental discharge. Police said the other occurred when an officer fired upon armed individuals participating in the fight. After the shootings, police shut down the hotel to contain witnesses and keep others out. Harrah's remained closed throughout the day, sending home employees and locked the hotel's shops. Many of those who witnessed the deadly incident on the crowded casino floor appeared shell-shocked Saturday as they camped out on a grassy area near police barricades at the hotel's entrance. Danny, a 25-year-old Los Angeles native who asked to be identified by first name only, said he was sitting at a blackjack table when the fight began. Members of the Mongols came into the casino and began antagonizing members of the Hells Angels, he said. "Then we heard shots being fired, and everyone in the casino dropped to the floor," said Danny, who remained inside Harrah's for about nine hours after the shootings while police conducted witness interviews. "When they started wheeling the victims out, I could see people who'd been shot in the stomach, the leg and in the shoulder. I saw one guy using a hammer on another guy." Cannito confirmed that the numerous weapons recovered by police included hand tools as well as guns and knives. Hundreds of public safety officers from numerous departments in Nevada and Arizona rushed to the scene and remained throughout the day. Jon Barrett, a battalion commander with the Bullhead City (Ariz.) Fire Department, said he arrived at the scene to find a body at the casino entrance. Barrett said he worked his way into the casino and saw that law enforcement personnel had scores of people in custody. "At least 100 biker personnel were handcuffed and laying on the floor all throughout the casino around the bar area," he said. Barrett said the casino bar was at the center of the bloodshed. "Right along the side of the bar, there were at least two people on the floor that had been fatally wounded by gunshot wounds or stab wounds," he said. Jason Fohs, an engineer-paramedic with the Bullhead City Fire Department, helped transport several of the victims to the hospital. Both of the victims were Mongols. One had been shot twice in the abdomen, and the other was shot in the lower left leg. He said he saw Mongols and Hells Angels when he arrived inside the casino. "Most of the victims were members of the Mongol gang. It seems like they were targeted," he said. "As we walked in, we noticed that most of the people that the (police officers) had down were Hells Angels." Fohs said the two Mongols he transported said they were enjoying drinks in the bar when they were attacked. "I don't know if that's the true story or not," he said. Tens of thousands of people annually enjoy the River Run in Laughlin, and members of motorcycle gangs are regulars at the event. Bullhead City Manager Dan Dible said authorities long ago implemented strict security measures. "We knew ahead of time the possibility of an incident like this occurring, given the involvement of gangs with the event, so the state of readiness is pretty good," he said. Mohave County (Ariz.) Sheriff Chief Deputy Jim McCabe said authorities have seen a rise in tensions between motorcycle gangs. "We've seen in the past year an increase in violence between some of the outlaw motorcycle gangs. There's been a couple of incidents that preceded this," he said. New Hampshire State Police Lt. Terrence Kinneen, a former president of the International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association, said instances of violence among motorcycle gangs are on the rise nationwide. He said a fragile peace between the Hells Angels and several smaller gangs, including the Mongols, collapsed three to four months ago. Many of the smaller gangs felt the Hells Angels were dictating the conditions of the treaty and decided they had had enough, he said. "Wherever the gangs meet or bump into each other, there's been problems," he said. Several years ago, Laughlin founder Don Laughlin banned members of the Mongols from staying at his Riverside hotel-casino. "They were fighting," Laughlin said. "We just kicked them out and told them we didn't want their business." Some River Run attendees said the tensions between the two gangs was obvious this week. Brothers Alan Barrett and Andy Barrett, of Portland Ore., were staying in the RV park across from Harrah's. "People were talking about something like this happening as early as (Friday) afternoon," Andy Barrett said. Police, who have made themselves a strong visible presence throughout the River Run, said they received no advance warning on the Harrah's shootout. River Run vendors feared police would shut down the event early, costing them thousands of dollars in lost profits. That had not occurred as of Saturday night. "It would be very bad," said Ron Levi, working at a booth for Biker Design T-Shirts. "This is our fifth year here, and we usually do well." Laughlin has nine hotel-casinos and about 11,000 hotel rooms throughout the city. The Harrah's property sits at the far south end of the city's Casino Drive and has 1,580 hotel rooms, a 47,000-square-foot casino, five restaurants and 1,500 employees. Contributing to this report were Review-Journal correspondent Dave Hawkins, Gaming Wire writer Dave Berns, Review-Journal staff writer Ryan Oliver and The Associated Press.
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