By: Las Vegas Now Staff
A Palo Verde High School student is dead after a shooting near the campus. It happened near Alta and Town Center, just down the street from the school.
Metro detectives say several students were walking east on Alta, about 100 yards from Palo Verde, when investigators said a silver car heading east with fired shots at a group of students walking down the sidewalk. One 9th grade boy was shot and killed.
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Detectives with Metro Homicide and Gang Crimes examined the street. At this point Metro can't say if this was gang related.
They also don't have a clear description of the car, except that it was a small, silver vehicle.
Read the Clark County Homicide Report
Metro has placed the witnesses into Palo Verde High to get statements. They still have a lot of information to collect.
“Obviously we have a large police presence in the area. We are doing everything we can to identify the suspects in this. We are canvassing the area,” said Randy Montandon with Metro.
Metro detectives can not say if the victim was the intended target, or what the motive behind the shooting was.
This is one of two shootings that occurred near Clark County schools on Friday afternoon.
Metro is also investigating another shooting that happened around the same time near Whitney Elementary School in the southeast part of the valley.
Police say the victim caught a juvenile who allegedly vandalized his property. The two began to fight, and the teenager pulled out a gun and fired.
The man was shot in the stomach and is at UMC in critical condition.
Metro Officer Jose Montoya says you should never confront a suspect because you never know what they are capable of, “So that's one of the reasons we tell people not to confront them. A very simple thing, a minor tagging, can lead to something tragic.”
People who saw the incident were able to subdue the teen until police arrived.
Eyewitness News will have the latest.
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This is soooo disturbing….just to think a couple of days ago my middle schoolers were so excited about attending Palo Verde in the fall.
I do hope that someone with a conscience will speak up. Whomever murdered this young child (albeit possibly murdered by a peer) I do hope they are caught and punished to the fullest extent, even if that means life in prison.(to me the least they could do)
I’m even upset to think that a lawyer is there to help them….help them to accept the punishment deserved for taking a life.
This is heartbreaking.
It could have been prompted by nothing, perhaps some stupid initiation to prove themselves to be hard enough.
My heart really aches for the parents of the victim. No words can express the pain they are going through at this moment.
My sons and I prayed for them (the parents) before we got home.
Comment by Edreana — February 15, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
[…] school. Metro detectives say several students were walking east on Alta, about 100 yards … credit : […]
Pingback by palo verde shooting Trendy Here! — February 15, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
CCSD is quick to announce that the shooting was “off campus”. After several gun incidents since December 07, what is actually being done to ensure that our students are safe? The student murdered today, was the son of a CCSD teacher. It is sad that as teachers we can’t even feel a sense of safety for our children, our students, or ourselves. Kids should be bused home, no matter the distance. There should be security, police, and crossing guards on all corners; and, not just for elementary schools. Police presence at schools should be everyday, not just when there is a fight or when they need to check book bags for guns. All schools should have metal detectors, even if it’s Palo Verde! More police need to be on the streets near all schools at dismissal time. Remember Mojave HS bus stop shooting that made national news in December 2007? Our kids are not any safer now than they were in December. What is CCSD waiting for? How many kids have to die while going to, and coming from school? If the shooting was “on campus” would more action be taken by CCSD? Maybe the $66 million dollar education funding cut has something to do with the lack of safety in our schools! I’d rather pay higher taxes to have safer schools and, don’t know a parent that would disagree!
Comment by Melissa — February 15, 2008 @ 11:52 pm
This WAS a gang related shooting
One of the kids there that was in the group with them was in a gang and they were trying to shoot him and accidently shot him
He wasnt involved in any gangs he was just with a person that was
The whole group of kids there rode my bus to school but recently the bus driver kicked them all of and they were forced to walk home.
Comment by Kevin — February 16, 2008 @ 5:23 pm