Man shoots cousin in Nevada senator’s home
The son of state Sen. Pat Spearman, who is a candidate for North Las Vegas mayor, shot his cousin at the veteran lawmaker’s home Thursday, she said Friday.
An emotional and teary-eyed Spearman told reporters Friday that the victim was expected to recover and that her son was sitting in jail.
“Thank God my nephew will recover,” she said.
Na’Onche Osborne, 21, was jailed on counts of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and discharging a gun into an occupied structure.
“Na’Onche made a very poor decision and he will have to face the consequences that come with that decision,” Spearman read from prepared remarks outside the North Las Vegas government center. “As a mother, I will support both the justice system and my son.”
North Las Vegas police responded about 6:45 p.m. to the 4100 block of Erinbird Avenue, near West Elkhorn Road and Aviary Way, a department spokesman said.
A man in his 40s was hospitalized at University Medical Center with a gunshot wound, said police, adding that Osborne was arrested within hours.
Spearman, who noted she was at a valley middle school for a Halloween event during the shooting, said her son turned himself in.
Spearman is facing incumbent North Las Vegas Councilwoman Pamela Goynes Brown in the November general election. They are running to replace Mayor John Lee, who opted out of re-election in an unsuccessful bid for governor in the Republican primary.
Spearman sent a warning to anyone who may want to politicize the shooting.
“If my opponent or her supporters attempt to politicize this issue, either through a blatant effort or a whisper campaign, shame on you. Shame on you,” she said.
Goynes-Brown issued a statement Friday evening.
“My thoughts are with the victim and my prayers are with the Senator in light of this unfortunate situation,” she wrote in a statement.
Spearman, a pastor and former Army lieutenant colonel, didn’t field any questions from reporters. Supporters flanked her during her remarks, and surrounded her in a prayer circle before.
Her campaign manager, Lisa Mayo DeRiso, told the Review-Journal that the candidate wasn’t dropping out of the race. Asked if Goynes-Brown had reached out, she said no.
Spearman said she adopted Osborne as a teenager.
“I knew raising him would be a challenge,” she said. “He was a child who witnessed violence early in life and he needed a strong, loving and supportive home in which to grow up. He made a bad decision last night that could have had much more tragic results.”
The candidate said she could empathize more with those connected to gun violence.
“My strong resume of compassionate leadership has in the last 12 hours been influenced by the many factors that contribute to gun violence, and that other families in North Las Vegas have sadly experienced.”
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter. Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickytwrites.
