Tenant accused of murder months after claiming self-defense in Las Vegas landlord shooting

A Las Vegas tenant claimed self-defense in the fatal shooting of his landlord in August, pointing to weeks of harassment, police said.

Nearly five months later, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested the tenant, 26-year-old Alexander Johnson, citing new evidence that showed he had misrepresented the events leading up to the shooting. Johnson was booked Wednesday on suspicion of murder.

Metro, which typically issues news releases for every homicide within its jurisdiction, did not inform the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the fatal shooting with an in-person or written briefing.

Officer Bob Wicks, a spokesperson with the department, said that the investigation initially pointed to justifiable homicide. But as investigators gathered more evidence after several months, the Clark County district attorney’s office determined otherwise. Wicks noted that when a homicide is considered for self-defense review, it is the department’s policy not release the details of the case to the media.

Wicks added that it’s rare for a case first ruled as a justified homicide to later be reclassified.

Arguments were ‘petty’

The shooting happened on Aug. 17 inside the living room of a southwest valley home, according to Johnson’s arrest report. That night, Johnson called 911, telling dispatchers that his landlord and roommate, Kenneth Lehman, had attacked him, prompting him to shoot.

Lehman, who police said was struggling to breathe and suffered a gunshot wound to the torso, died after being taken to an area hospital. An obituary for Lehman indicates that he was 55 years old.

Police detained Johnson as they processed the scene. On the coffee table, officers found paperwork addressed to the victim, including a citation alleging that two days before the shooting, Lehman had been accused of assaulting Johnson. They also found a letter from Johnson notifying the landlord that he was terminating his lease at the end of September.

Johnson told police that he signed the lease in January 2025 after seeing Lehman’s Facebook post advertising a bedroom for $650 per month, including utilities and shared use of the kitchen and bathroom. There were also two other renters in the house, Johnson told police.

In the spring, Lehman tried to raise the rent, but Johnson told him he had violated the law by failing to give proper notice. Lehman backed down, Johnson said, but the landlord began insisting that Johnson take on more household chores.

Johnson then informed Lehman that he planned to move out. Their relationship quickly deteriorated after that, with Johnson later describing their arguments as “petty,” often stemming from Lehman asking that the tenant clean up after himself.

A day before the shooting, Johnson also placed a camera in his room because he suspected that Lehman was entering his room while he was gone, showing it to a prospective renter.

‘Johnson created the situation’

The dispute that led to the shooting began when Lehman was downstairs watching television at a very high volume, Johnson told police. When Johnson confronted his landlord, Lehman ignored him and started laughing. Johnson then tried to unplug the internet router.

Johnson told police Lehman began choking him, but detectives said that conflicted with a video Johnson recorded of the fight.

“Alexander claimed that during the altercation, he had been strangled, yet he was able to tell Kenneth to get off of him, as Kenneth was presumably attempting to stop him from destroying his property,” police said in the report.

The report also said that, per Johnson’s rental agreement, the living room was Lehman’s “own private domain and off limits to the tenant.”

After the killing, police said, Johnson continued to live in the home and was selling Lehman’s belongings online

“Based on the investigation, it is reasonable to believe that Alexander Johnson created the situation that led to his shooting and killing Kenneth Lehman,” the report said. “Alexander repeatedly violated the room rental agreement by failing to maintain the dwelling unit and shared facilities, appliances, equipment, and fixtures.”

“Alexander felt he was being harassed by being required to comply with the conditions of his lease, including cleaning up after himself,” police also said in the conclusion of the report.

Johnson, who, according to court records, is being held without bail, is due in court on Tuesday.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.