Grandmother: Teen killed by gang members
The grandmother of a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed Wednesday in North Las Vegas said her grandson was killed by gang members.
Donald Troutman died from a gunshot wound to the right buttock, according to the Clark County coroner's office.
Della Jerkins-Chaney, 51, said Troutman was killed after a fight with a member of the HTO gang. Troutman recently had played basketball against the gang member's younger brother, she said, and was ambushed while walking home.
"He was on his way home, and they jumped out, and they had a fight," she said. Then, one of the suspects "ran back to his car, grabbed a gun and shot him."
Jerkins-Chaney said her grandson was not a member of a gang.
North Las Vegas police Sgt. Tim Bedwell could not confirm whether Troutman or the suspects were gang members or whether the incident was related to a basketball game.
At least 10 gunshots were fired, he said, possibly by several people.
Bedwell said police were dispatched about 6:35 p.m. to the 5100 block of Cross Ranch Street, near 5th Street and Washburn Road, on a call of shots fired. Officers found Troutman's body on Knife River Street.
The teen was taken to University Medical Center, where he died, Bedwell said.
No arrests had been made Thursday. Bedwell said police were interviewing witnesses and piecing together the case
Jerkins-Chaney said Troutman was a stocky athlete with a sweet personality who doted on his grandmother and attended church every Sunday.
The family is taking the news of his death very hard, she said.
"He had different plans for himself, beyond Las Vegas," she said.
She said she is tired of the gang lifestyle in her community. Wednesday's shooting was about a mile away from a November shooting that left Las Vegas police officer Trevor Nettleton dead. Authorities say some of the six suspects charged in his slaying have gang ties.
"I'm willing to do anything I can to stop this," she said. "Somebody needs to start speaking up. It's time to stop."
Anyone with information in the case is urged to call the North Las Vegas police at 633-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.
