8-year-old describes shooting

Bruce Mahavong's left arm was still in a sling a month after being shot.

So, as the 8-year-old boy on Friday walked out of Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron's courtroom, he wiped tears away from his eyes using his right hand.

Bruce had just finished testifying during a preliminary hearing for the two men accused of shooting him during a July 25 drive-by shooting that targeted others in a northeast valley neighborhood.

Carlos Reyes, 22, and Jonathan Alday, 20, are charged with multiple felonies, including three counts each of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.

Bruce said he was on his way to a nearby park with his two sisters and three cousins when the shooting began near the intersection of Kell Lane and Marion Drive.

He was pushing a carriage with his 1-year-old cousin in it, he testified. His 13- and 3-year-old sisters and 4-year-old cousin were with him.

"After I was crossing the crosswalk, I stopped to look at my big sister. I heard a gunshot. I thought it was fireworks," the third-grader said in a soft voice.

Deputy District Attorney Sonia Jimenez asked what happened next.

"I got shot," the 8-year-old said. He was struck in the shoulder.

Authorities say Reyes, the alleged shooter, and Alday, the alleged driver, were targeting two people in another vehicle. They were not injured.

Investigators believe the shooting was related to a $200 drug deal.

After the hearing, Bennett-Haron ordered the case moved to District Court, where Reyes and Alday, also known as Jonathan Perez, will stand trial on the charges.

Both defendants are being held at the Clark County Detention Center, each on more than $200,000 bail.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.