Man pleads guilty to killing mother of two at traffic stop

The man accused of shooting and killing a 39-year-old mother of two at a traffic stop pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder.

Calvin Kirklin, 22, entered a plea to killing Blanca Gonzalez in March 2008 at the intersection of Nellis and Charleston boulevards.

Authorities said Kirklin had been drinking alcohol when he fired a round from his vehicle into Gonzalez's sport utility vehicle, striking her in the head. Kirklin had no connection to the victim before the shooting.

Gonzalez's two children were inside the SUV at the time of the shooting. Kirklin's 1-year-old son was inside his vehicle.

His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Joe Abood, previously called the shooting a tragic accident. A friend who previously testified at a preliminary hearing in April also said that Kirklin never meant to shoot Gonzalez.

Kirklin was initially charged with murder, two counts of discharging a firearm out of a vehicle and one count of discharging a firearm into a vehicle. The district attorney's office dropped the three counts of discharging a firearm.

District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez, no relation to the victim, is scheduled to sentence Kirklin on May 18.

She could sentence him to serve 10 years to life, or 10 to 25 years, in prison.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.