Las Vegas man arrested after shooting girlfriend who tried to stop bloodshed

A 21-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested Friday after accidentally shooting his girlfriend as she tried to stop him from shooting others.

The shooting happened just before midnight Friday in the front yard of a home on the 2000 block of Linden Avenue, near Bonanza Road and Eastern Avenue, a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report shows.

Luis Avalos, 21, faces charges of attempted murder and discharging a gun where people might be endangered.

Police said Avalos had been hosting a friend’s birthday party Friday night. Just before midnight, both he and his girlfriend, who is also the mother of his son, came out to the front yard.

The girlfriend described Avalos as highly intoxicated at the time, according to the report.

A group of at least four unknown people walked past the home. The girlfriend told police Avalos began fighting with the group and was pushed to the ground.

After the fight, Avalos told police he reached for his gun and yelled at the passing group. His girlfriend “began to push Avalos back while ordering him to get into the house.”

Instead, Avalos lifted his weapon and fired three shots toward the group.

“Unfortunately, (the girlfriend) sustained the blunt of the attack,” the report said. She was shot twice and taken to University Medical Center’s trauma unit, where she later spoke with police about the incident.

Though Avalos told police he didn’t intend to shoot his girlfriend, he was booked on attempted murder because he said he did intend to shoot at the group of people. A hearing on the case is scheduled for early Wednesday.

Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.