Shooting victim hailed

The victims of a Sunday morning drive-by shooting at Bob Baskin Park are a study in contrasts.

Chris Luscombe, 19, was Clark High School's 2007 prom king, a star linebacker with NFL dreams who is called "Superman" by his friends.

The last known Clark County School District enrollment for David Alden Miramontes was reported in December. The then 17-year-old freshman was in the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center. Miramontes, who was shot in the head while sitting in a car, was using crutches.

Neither knew the other, Luscombe's friends said. Both were gunned down early Sunday morning after they attended a graduation party where a conflict occurred, witnesses said.

Miramontes, 18, was killed.

Luscombe was shot in the torso. His friends said a bullet damaged Luscombe's stomach, colon, small intestine and liver.

"He will pull through this. That's why we call him Superman," said 16-year-old friend Dominic Gennarino. "Everything you think about Superman, that's Chris in real life."

Luscombe, who stands taller than 6 feet and is a muscular 220 pounds, was in critical condition Monday at University Medical Center after undergoing a third surgery. His friends held vigils outside the hospital Sunday and Monday nights. Dozens of teenagers participated, vowing to do so every night until Luscombe walks out of the hospital.

Rian Williamson, 18, said Luscombe was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Williamson was with Luscombe when the park shooting happened about 3 a.m.

Williamson said he sprinted away from the gunfire that erupted from a Toyota Scion, whose occupants immediately left the park, located on West Oakey Boulevard near Rancho Drive.

"Everything happened in 30 seconds," Williamson said. "Then we heard sirens."

The drive-by was one of a series of unrelated shootings that left three people dead and one injured over the weekend. Las Vegas police, alarmed by the proliferation of fatalities, characterized the Baskin Park shooting as "violence of the worst kind."

"It was kid-on-kid violence," Las Vegas police Capt. Pat Neville said Monday during a news conference at the park.

Police have no suspects yet, but said that the drive-by, which might have grown out of the earlier confrontation at a graduation party, was an ominous start to a week of commencement celebrations.

Witnesses told police the drive-by was connected to a dispute Luscombe tried to end at a graduation party near Rainbow Boulevard and the Las Vegas Beltway. The two drive-by victims were both believed to have attended the party, Las Vegas police homicide Lt. Lew Roberts said.

Williamson said Luscombe attempted to break up a fight between two girls.

"It was a girl drama," Williamson said.

Williamson thought that a boyfriend of one of the girls might have gotten upset when words were exchanged.

Mike Galbraith, a 17-year-old senior from Basic High School, described a much larger fight at the party. Two of Luscombe's female friends were being beaten up by several girls, Galbraith said. Luscombe intervened by throwing one of the girls attacking his friends to the ground.

Galbraith said Luscombe told him about the fight in a cell phone conversation. Luscombe told the story again when the two were at a 7-Eleven, prior to going to Baskin Park.

Galbraith said he was at the park with Luscombe from about 12:30 a.m. up to the time of the shooting. After his friend was wounded, Galbraith said he rushed to Luscombe and held his hand until the paramedics and police arrived.

The teens who left the party for the park kept in touch with people still at the party through electronic text messages, police said.

That's how one group knew where the other group was, Neville said.

Neville estimated 20 to 30 teens were constantly coming and going at the park. Eight to 10 teenagers witnessed the drive-by, which police said involved six to eight shots fired.

Roberts said it's not yet known whether either of the victims were intended targets. It appeared the assailant shot indiscriminately, Roberts said.

"The kids are the key," Roberts said. "There were a lot of kids at that party. High school kids talking about what happened will help us solve the case and get the suspect."

Luscombe's friends are simply hoping for his recovery. They donned Superman T-shirts Monday in a show of solidarity for the critically injured Clark graduate, who likes to wear the superhero's logo. A photo montage put together by one group of friends showed Luscombe in Superman's royal blue while cheek to cheek with a girl. "My hero" was scrawled across the image.

Nichole Taylor was one of the people at UMC who gathered Sunday to support the Luscombe family.

The 17-year-old Las Vegas resident described Luscombe as a "true, real person," whom she came to know well during the couple of years they've known each other.

"You don't have to be blood to be family," Taylor said. "Even if we aren't with him, we want him to know we are all here."

Neville urged family and friends to take more responsibility for their children, especially if they are out late and drinking. An 18-year-old living at a home is still supposed to be under a parent's supervision, Neville said.

Neville vowed police would crack down on house parties where alcohol is served. He also said kids have too much access to dangerous weapons. "If you have guns, lock them up," Neville said.

He said the community cannot tolerate more incidents.

"When is enough, enough?"

Review-Journal writer Maggie Lillis contributed to this story. Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686.