2 dead, 1 wounded in shooting near Las Vegas Strip

An early morning shooting across the Las Vegas Strip left two women dead and a man in critical condition, according to Las Vegas police.

The shooting stemmed from a fight at the Miracle Mile Shops parking garage at Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, at 1:18 a.m. Friday. Security guards broke up the fight, which involved a handful of men on the third floor. Police have reviewed security footage from the garage that shows the argument, Las Vegas police spokesman Michael Rodriguez said.

The three people who were later shot left the garage in a silver Hyundai, pulling onto Audrie Street, and were followed by a dark gray 2015 Toyota Camry. A man — described only as black and in his early 20s — is seen on surveillance footage getting out of the Camry and pointing a gun at the other car, according to Lt. Dan McGrath from Las Vegas police's homicide section.

The Camry followed as the Hyundai quickly turned to head west on Harmon Avenue across the Strip.

Then the 911 calls started coming in at 1:29 a.m.: Cab drivers in the area and people at the Panorama Towers just west of Dean Martin Drive reported gunshots, people shooting at each other from their vehicles on Harmon.

Police arrived to find a woman lying in the intersection of Harmon and Aldebaran Avenue with with gunshot wounds. She died soon after at University Medical Center.

The investigation was still active Friday night, but the woman was likely a passenger in the backseat. She ended up in the roadway by trying to escape the gunfire.

McGrath said the car she was in had been struck by gunfire on three sides. The back windshield had been shot out, and at least five rounds left holes in the sides of the car.

Police then received calls, about four minutes later, about a car pulling into the valet area of the The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South. That car had bumped into another car in the valet area, and employees discovered the people inside the vehicle had been shot.

Investigators had heard the woman was unconscious as the car pulled into valet, and the man in the front seat was trying to steer the car to safety. They were rushed to UMC, where the second woman died.

The man was listed in critical condition Friday morning, but police later in the day described his condition as stable.

The Clark County coroner will release the identities of the women after their families have been notified.

No arrests had been made as of Friday night, and police hadn't figured out every detail.

But McGrath sounded determined.

"That guy chased them down," he said. "It's sad. We're going to catch this guy."

Detectives asked for the public's help in locating the Camry and the man connected to the shooting. Anyone with any information about this incident can contact the Homicide Section at 702-828-3521 or homicide@lvmpd.com.

These are the 20th and 21st homicides investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department in 2016.

The Strip has seen a couple of incidents in recent months, including a Jan. 22 officer-involved shooting. That happened after police said Kahleal Black, 20, walked in front of the Bellagio fountain show brandishing an unloaded gun. He reportedly held it up to a few people's heads and pulled the trigger before a confrontation with officer George Smith, 45.

When Black did not respond to commands, police said Smith fired his weapon, missing Black but grazing a child and the jacket of a man near the scene. Black was then taken into custody.

On Dec. 20, as the Miss Universe pageant was underway at the Planet Hollywood hotel, police said Lakeisha Holloway plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk, killing one and injuring dozens. She was also taken into custody shortly after the crash.

On Feb. 21, 2013, police said Ammar Harris, 27, fired several shots at a Maserati driven by Kenneth Cherry Jr while at a red light, causing Cherry to lose control and careen into a fiery wreck. Cherry and two others died. Harris was sentenced to death Nov. 4 of last year.

— Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl. Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lawrenlinehan.