Teen arrested in shooting death of 14-year-old

Haji Mohamud was Ricky Brown’s “little homie.”

Ricky, 16, was the elder statesman who sponsored his young friend’s membership into their street gang.

Haji, 14, even adopted the same moniker: “Lil Goonie Mac” to Ricky’s “Goonie Mac.”

But the boys’ childish gangster fantasies had very real consequences.

Now Brown is in jail facing a murder charge as an adult. Haji is dead.

Las Vegas police said Brown was the gunman who opened fire on people leaving a birthday party early Jan. 12 at the Sage Point apartment complex at 1400 East Reno Avenue, near Tropicana Avenue and Maryland Parkway.

More than 100 young people were dancing and drinking in Apartment 21 when things got rowdy. A window was broken. The renter, Kia White, asked everyone to leave.

As people began filing out of the apartment, someone opened fire. Kavouise Jackson, 18, was hit in the elbow and the torso but survived. Haji was shot in the head. He died with his hands in his pockets.

Police later determined that more than 16 gangs were represented at the party, including members from Wood, Crips, and Money Gang, to which Haji and Brown belonged.

In the days after the shooting, detectives interviewed 40 people. No one was willing to identify the shooter. After a public plea for witnesses to come forward, information began filtering in. “We took the little information we were able to garner from the initial investigation, and we were able to gain a little more,” homicide Lt. Ray Steiber said.

One witness told police she heard someone say, “I’m going to air this place out,” referring to gunfire. Her friend then said, “That’s Goonie Mac,” according to Brown’s arrest report.

A few minutes later, the witness saw “Goonie Mac” fire a handgun into the crowd. She later identified “Goonie Mac” as Brown in a photo lineup.

More than a month into the probe, according to the report, a tipster told police that Brown admitted to killing Haji in a phone conversation. When the tipster asked Brown why he shot Haji, Brown said it was an accident. Brown was aiming for someone else, but Haji was caught in the crossfire.

“It haunts him every day,” the tipster told police, according to the report. Brown added that he hoped Haji would forgive him in heaven. The tipster told detectives that Brown said there was a second shooter known as “Money Reecee.” Police have not identified a second gunman.

But the final piece of the puzzle for police came on Feb. 18, when Brown was arrested for carrying a gun after a shooting at another party. That gun, a Glock, matched the bullet casings recovered from the earlier shooting. “That proved to be the weapon used to kill Haji,” Steiber said.

Brown denied shooting Haji or using the moniker “Goonie Mac” in his interview with detectives.

It wasn’t the first time a teen party turned deadly. In recent years, the quick spread of information about parties on social media has led to gang members crashing them, often bringing guns and violence with them, police said.

Almost a year ago, 17-year-old Betty “Jay” Pinkney was killed in similar fashion when she was struck by a stray bullet at a house party that turned violent. That case has not yet been closed.

In 2009, Aric Brill, 16, was killed at an east valley house party when uninvited gang members showed up. That case also is unsolved.

Anyone with information about the unsolved killings can leave anonymous tips with Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or crimestoppersofnv.com.