Man shot and killed last week by Henderson police ID’d

A 71-year-old man who was killed outside his Las Vegas home last week by Henderson police officers during a SWAT encounter was identified Thursday.

Henderson SWAT officers shot and killed Bruce Ayer on June 26, the Clark County coroner’s office confirmed. Ayer died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.

A burglary investigation the night before had led detectives to Ayer’s home in the 3800 block of Casa Colorado Avenue in Las Vegas, Henderson Police Department Sgt. Daniel Medrano told reporters last week. The shooting occurred outside of Ayer’s residence around 7 a.m., and Ayer was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries, Medrano said.

Though the shooting happened in Las Vegas, Medrano said Henderson took full control of the investigation because the alleged burglary the day before had reportedly occurred within the jurisdiction of Henderson Police.

Medrano did not say whether Ayer had opened fire at police. He also did not name the hospital where Ayer was taken.

The Henderson Police Department on June 28 identified officer Michael Stevens as the officer who fatally shot Ayer. Stevens has been with the department since July 2015 and has since been placed on administrative leave, per department policy.

A Henderson police spokesperson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday that the incident was not related to a separate investigation in which Henderson SWAT officers on June 25 found a man dead in his south Las Vegas home. Additional details in either case have not been released.

Ayer’s death marks the second officer-involved shooting for Henderson police in 2025.

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X. or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.