Two die in what police calling gang-related shooting in NLV

Jerry Fink and Jace Radke

Monday, Oct. 18, 1999 | 12:22 p.m.

A 19-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man were killed in an apparent gang-related shootout at a North Las Vegas residence early Sunday morning, police said.

The woman may have been caught in a crossfire that erupted at a party at 800 Glendale Ave. around 1:30 a.m., North Las Vegas Police said.

The coroner's office identified the two victims this morning as Bridgette Murad and Damien Aragon, both of Las Vegas.

North Las Vegas Police spokesman Lt. Chris Laratonda said witnesses at the scene said the female victim was 14 years old, but he could not confirm that fact. A spokesman for the county coroner said she was 19.

It is the second time within a week that gang violence has erupted in the Las Vegas Valley.

Two teenage boys were shot and wounded on Oct. 11 at Clark High School in Las Vegas as they stood on the northeast corner of the campus. Maynor Villanueva, 18, is facing attempted murder charges in the shootings, and a 14-year-old boy may also face charges in connection with the incident.

In the North Las Vegas shooting, police believe members of a gang were among 100 people at a private party when rival gang members drove by and an argument broke out.

Laratonda said piecing the information together has been very difficult because of a lack of cooperation by many witnesses and contradictory stories from other witnesses.

"Nobody is terribly forthcoming," he said. "It will take quite a while to figure this out completely."

He said it appears that the female victim attended the party but was acquainted with the gang members who drove by.

"She may have been dropped off at the party by at least two members of one street gang," Laratonda said.

He said when the female was shot she may have been trying to get into the car driven by the gang members.

"They drove off but came back to pick her up," he said.

Laratonda said that's when the driver of the car was shot in the hand and the passenger, Damien Aragon, was shot in the chest. Aragon died during surgery at University Medical Center.

Laratonda said it is not known at this time who was doing the shooting.