Motorist kills self in Strip traffic

Keith Paul

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000 | 11:21 a.m.

A motorist shot and killed himself in his car on Las Vegas Boulevard late Wednesday just moments after he fired at another driver, police said.

The man tried to elude police but was trapped by stopped traffic at the light on Flamingo Road. Metro Police officers saw the man put the gun up to his head and kill himself, said Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro's homicide unit.

"Before the officers even had a chance to approach the vehicle, he took his own life," Petersen said. "The traffic officers saw him place the gun to the right side of his head and pull the trigger, killing himself with a single gunshot wound to the head."

The suicide was the end to a bizarre series of events that started when the man wanted to get into another travel lane about 11:40 p.m.

The man, whose name was not released this morning, apparently became angry at another driver who didn't let him over in traffic near the MGM Grand. The man then pulled out a handgun and fired at the other driver, Petersen said.

The bullet hit the front fender, and the driver of that car turned into the southbound lanes. No one in the car was injured. The gunman then apparently followed the other driver, Petersen said.

The driver pulled into a convenience store and called police. The gunman then turned around again and continued north on the Strip. Two Metro officers were in the area and turned on their emergency lights to get the gunman to pull over. He instead continued to drive on into the left turn lane into the Bellagio.

When another officer pulled up near him, the gunman accelerated out of the turn lane and continued north on the Strip until he encountered traffic at Flamingo Road, Petersen said.

"The suspect slammed on his brakes, skidding to a stop," Petersen said. "The officers stopped about 30 feet behind him."

That's when police say the man shot himself.

"We don't know why he chose to take his own life," Petersen said.