Henderson man was victim in apparent birthday party shooting accident

A man killed Saturday night by a bullet that also critically injured another man Saturday night in the south Las Vegas Valley has been identified.

He was Ryan Nelson, 23, of Henderson, the Clark County coroner’s office said. His cause and manner of death were not released Wednesday.

A single bullet, possibly fired by accident, left Nelson dead and another man with life-threatening injuries Saturday, police said. Officers responded about 9:30 p.m. to the Amalfi Apartments, at 2750 Wigwam Ave., near Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road, after receiving reports of the shooting, Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Ray Spencer said at the time.

Police think the two were shot with the same bullet during a small birthday party in an apartment, Spencer said. Spencer said Wednesday that investigators think the shot was unintentional.

Two to four people were in the apartment’s bedroom when the shot hit Nelson and then the other man in the head, police said. Nelson died at the scene, while the other man, in his mid-20s, was hospitalized at University Medical Center. He remained in “very critical” condition on Tuesday, Spencer said.

About eight people were in the apartment at the time of the shooting, and they were cooperating with police, Spencer said. Police found the gun, and “there is no suspect,” Spencer said at the scene.

“We know that one of the people at the party did see the deceased holding a firearm, and the next thing they know, they heard a gunshot and there were two people shot by gunfire,” he said.

Spencer said there was alcohol at the party, but officers were unsure whether anyone was intoxicated. Everyone at the apartment appeared to be in their 20s, he said.

“This is a tragic situation where you have alcohol involved and you also have firearms,” Spencer said. “Those are two things that definitely do not mix.”

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.