2 men killed Wednesday afternoon in central Las Vegas shooting

Two men died Wednesday afternoon in a central Las Vegas shooting.

Police said the men were passengers in a white SUV when both were shot in the head at about 2 p.m. after an altercation that may have started at a Union 76 station on the corner of Owens Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Circumstances of the altercation were unclear, police said, but the shooting occurred at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Mezpah Street.

“We’re trying to piece it all together,” Metro Lt. Dan McGrath said. “Apparently, they were chasing each other around.”

The shots were fired from the driver’s side of another vehicle, but authorities said they have received conflicting information about the vehicle description. It is still unclear how many people were in the assailant’s car.

No arrests have been made, and police do not have a suspect.

“We’re hoping for some information … hopefully soon,” McGrath said. “These people need to be caught.”

He said witnesses had not mentioned the men shot returning fire, but the possibility has not been ruled out.

The men who were shot, both Hispanic and about 25 years old, were taken to University Medical Center. One was pronounced dead at about 3:30 p.m., and the other died at about 5:45 p.m. The 19-year-old driver of the vehicle was unharmed.

McGrath said he did not know whether the shooting was gang-related, but there was no indication the men shot were gang members.

He said having a homicide occur in broad daylight was a cause for concern.

“Obviously, it got our attention,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of shootings or homicides in the middle of the day.”

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Find @BlakeApgarLV on Twitter.