Clark County coroner IDs man who died in parking lot shootout
The man who was killed during an exchange of gunfire in a southwest Las Vegas parking lot has been identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as Joseph Anthwone Smith, 43.
Las Vegas police said Smith was shot after he and another man approached a couple in a parking lot at 9640 W. Tropicana Ave. shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday. The couple had gotten food at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant and were parked in the parking lot, having dinner, when an altercation broke out with the men who had approached the vehicle.
The man who was having dinner and one of the other two men brandished guns and started shooting. Smith died at the scene. The surviving shooter was not injured and called police shortly after the shooting.
Las Vegas police homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said at the time that preliminary information gathered by police indicated that it appeared to be a case of self-defense. The two shooters did not know each other.
Spencer said Friday in a text message to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that police now believe it was “clearly a case of self defense.” He said police would not be releasing the name of the surviving shooter.
The coroner’s office said Smith’s home address was unknown. He died from multiple gunshot wounds. The manner of death was listed as homicide.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.
