Saturday, January 24, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

In Brief

DOMESTIC DISPUTE

Gunman identified in Henderson shooting

Coroner's officials have identified the gunman who was shot and killed by Henderson police Wednesday outside Galloway Elementary School as Hezekiah E. Lewis, 40, of Henderson.

Police said Lewis gunned down Anthony Jackson, 35, in a domestic dispute. Jackson was found in a red sports car in the school's parking lot, where members of a special response team also found Lewis and used a flash grenade to distract him. During the commotion, an officer fired at Lewis and killed him.

A police spokesman identified the officer who shot Lewis as Mike Gillis but had no further details about the shooting.

Police officials have said that after shots were first fired at 4:50 p.m., Lewis walked into the school looking for a woman who was picking up her child. When Lewis didn't find his target, he returned to the sports car, leaving 27 children unharmed inside the building.

SHAKEN BABY

Father sentenced in daughter's death

A young Kingman, Ariz., man convicted in the shaking death of his 7-week-old daughter was sentenced to an 8 3/4-year prison term Friday.

Steven Zuncs, 21, was convicted of child abuse in the November 2002 death of Olivia Lara.

Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steven Conn told Zuncs he was lucky the jury rejected the option of convicting him of first-degree murder.

"You really dodged a bullet here," Conn said.

Conn called Zuncs a "pathetically inadequate, incompetent parent" who killed his own child the first time he was left alone to care for the girl.

Zuncs fatally wounded the girl during a severe shaking to silence her cries and later putting more than 60 pin pricks in her feet in an effort to revive the unconscious victim.

Conn tacked on two more years in prison as required by law because Zuncs killed his baby while on release from another felony. Zuncs drew a 2 1/2-year prison term for a burglary. The sentences will be served consecutively.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENTS

Informational phone number established

Students who believe they may be owed a reimbursement for tuition from University and Community College System of Nevada now have a phone number they can call for assistance.

Polo Tower executive Steve Cloobeck established the number, 261-1188, after receiving hundreds of calls from students inquiring how they can get reimbursed the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.

"I had to set it up because the phone kept ringing and I couldn't get any work done," said Cloobeck, who has agreed to finance a class-action lawsuit if the university system does not reimburse the difference.

The university system has a policy requiring 12-month residency in Nevada to get the in-state rate, while state law sets the residency requirement at six months.

The help line asks callers to leave their name, number and e-mail address for additional information.

SHOOTING DEATH

19-year-old gets eight years in prison

A judge has imposed an eight-year prison term for a Golden Valley, Ariz., teenager convicted in the death of his friend.

Daniel Sprowson, 19, was sentenced Friday by Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steven Conn.

Prosecutor Jace Zack urged harsh punishment, arguing that Sprowson smoked marijuana and ingested methamphetamine before he handled a weapon that discharged, resulting in the May 10, 2002, death of Aaron Helland, 25.

Sprowson was convicted at trial of negligent homicide and manslaughter.

Conn ordered Sprowson to serve the shooting-related sentence following completion of another four-year prison term for a separate methamphetamine conviction.