Target shooting ricochet blamed for man’s death in Tule Springs
A man was killed in the desert northwest of Las Vegas early Monday in what police described as a target shooting accident.
David Elliot Ferreira, 29, died at the Mud Hills shooting area, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
The area east of U.S. Highway 95 and north of Corn Creek Road, about halfway between the turnoffs to Mount Charleston, has long served as an impromptu range for target shooters.
With the designation of the new 22,650-acre Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument in December, the land now falls under the supervision of the National Park Service. It was formerly Bureau of Land Management property.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the family,” said Jennifer Haley, a temporary spokeswoman for the monument. “We never like to see this sort of thing happen on land that we manage.”
The shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. when a bullet ricocheted from a target or rock and struck Ferreira, according to Las Vegas police. Two friends who were with Ferreira tried to save him, but he died in the desert.
Review-Journal writer Henry Brean contributed to this report.
Contact reporter Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraTaloma.
