LV man kills self after SWAT standoff

Karen Zekan

Monday, April 13, 1998 | 10:14 a.m.

A Las Vegas man who police were treating as a barricaded suspect was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound late Sunday when SWAT officers entered the house six hours after his family fled amid gunfire.

The man, whose name was not released, was intoxicated and had been arguing with his wife over an ongoing issue that afternoon when about 5 p.m. a scuffle ensued involving his wife and his teenage daughter, Metro Police Lt.Rick Alba said.

"The daughter was able to call police and get out of the house with her mom," Alba said. "As they were leaving and officers began to arrive, they heard one shot."

As a safety precaution, police evacuated residences in and around the family's home in the 3800 block of Marshall Circle, near Buffalo Drive and Alexander Road.

When patrol officers were unable to reach the armed man by telephone or bullhorn, Metro's SWAT and K-9 teams were called in about 7 p.m. and began assembling around the house as negotiators continued attempting contact.

The Special Weapons and Tactics team entered the home about 11 p.m. and found the man dead from an apparent suicide.

Neighbors awaiting the chance to return to their homes were further delayed when police discovered what appeared to be a rocket or other possible explosive device inside the man's house, Alba said.

Both the bomb squad and explosives experts from Nellis Air Force Base were called in about 11:30 p.m. to remove the suspected device, a description of which was not immediately released.