A landlord in downtown Las Vegas has shot dead two of his tenants reportedly over their unpaid rent. Authorities said Tuesday that a third person is now in critical condition after he was shot multiple times by the same gunman.
Authorities said an argument over unpaid rent turned violent Tuesday morning in a house located near St. Louis Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard just south of downtown Las Vegas. Lieutenant Ray Spencer with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said they arrived on the scene after receiving calls of multiple shots fired in the area.
First responders arrived on the scene and found one woman in a front yard with a gunshot wound. She was later pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. While officers were attempting to secure the area, a man with nine gunshot wounds stumbled out and cried to help. He was later taken to UMC, where he is still fighting for his life.
Police officers said the suspected shooter refused to come out of the house, forcing them to call in SWAT units. The shooter eventually surrendered and was taken into custody after intense negotiations.
LVMPD identified the shooter as 78-year-old Arnoldo Lozano Sanchez. He is now being detained at the Clark County Detention Center and is facing possible charges of murder and attempted murder.
A witness told Las Vegas police that they recommended Arnoldo Sanchez try to evict the tenants, but he reportedly said he would "handle this his way."https://t.co/QnALlIpJU1 — FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) August 10, 2021
Investigators said Sanchez might have shot the two women after an argument erupted over their unpaid rent. Officials said Sanchez had been renting out rooms to the three victims.
A witness told investigators that Sanchez had previously confronted the victims over their unpaid rent to no avail. The witness claimed he had advised Sanchez to seek legal means to evict the non-paying renters. Sanchez allegedly told him that he would handle the issue "his way."
A tenant living in another room on Sanchez's house said he heard several gunshots and then saw the landlord standing in the hallway "smiling and laughing." The boyfriend of the woman found in the front yard said he ran away when he saw Sanchez walk by him with a gun.
LVMPD officials said Sanchez has refused to talk to them about the incident and has already asked for an attorney. He is expected to appear in court Wednesday.
