Three dead, multiple injured in shooting at Reno resort; suspect shot by police
Three people were killed and three others were wounded during a shooting at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, officials said Monday, noting that prompt intervention prevented worse carnage.
Reno police officers arrived at the parking lot of the hotel and casino within three minutes of getting an emergency call around 7:25 a.m. and exchanged fire with the suspect, disabling him, the police department said.
“There was incredible swift action that took place and it (kept) this individual from going into the building,'' Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said at an afternoon news conference. "That is really, really remarkable. I want to say thank you so much to all of you.’’
Two of the victims died at the scene and the third one was declared dead at a local hospital, said Chief Chris Crawforth of the Sparks Police Department, which is taking over the investigation. The resort sits about three miles east of Reno and a similar distance west of Sparks.
Gunman shoots driver while fleeing
Crawforth said two of the victims and the shooter are listed in critical condition at the hospital, from where another injured person was released.
Crawforth described the suspect, whose identity has not been released, as walking through the resort's parking lot toward the valet area, where he fired multiple times at a group of people and struck five.
After fleeing, the gunman was confronted by a security guard and exchanged fire with him before continuing to run away until he spotted a driver in the parking lot, at which point he shot and killed the person, Crawforth said.
When Reno police officers found the suspect, he shot and struck a patrol car. They returned fire and hit him.
No link to victims, no motive
“At this time we have no reason to believe there was a connection between any of the victims and the suspect, and we have no known motive by the suspect,’’ Crawforth said.
Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance said an officer sustained a minor injury in the exchange with the gunman, likely from glass fragments.
The resort told the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the Paste BN Network, that it is cooperating with the authorities, and it condemned the attack.
“We are heartbroken by the senseless violence that occurred in our parking area earlier today,” the Grand Sierra said. “Our thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this tragic incident.”