NLV man hit by stray bullet, dies

Jace Radke

Friday, Feb. 16, 2001 | 11:39 a.m.

The Rev. I.W. Wilson sat in his North Las Vegas home Thursday night holding a note from his son.

On the ragged paper, no bigger than a few inches across, were the words written in pencil: "This is Floyd. Been here. Is you home? Call me."

Shortly after leaving the note a stray bullet struck Floyd Wilson and killed him as he drove his pickup west on Carey Avenue from Martin Luther King Boulevard at about 12:15 p.m.

The note sounded just like Floyd, who was always looking out for people, said Wilson as he looked down at the note with red-rimmed eyes.

"I just wish someone could come up and tell me what happened," Wilson said. "He was probably on his way home. I wish I knew who did this."

North Las Vegas Police say that the bullet that struck Floyd Wilson, 61, was probably meant for someone in another car.

"It looks like someone was standing at the corner of West and Carey and started shooting at a car headed south on West Street," North Las Vegas Police spokesman Lt. Art Redcay said. "The victim was coming up Carey, minding his own business, when he was shot.

"This can happen to anyone, anytime, anyplace, and it's sad and unfortunate that someone had to lose their life."

Wilson served as a deacon in his father's congregation at the True Love Missionary Baptist Church, 1941 H St., and friends say he loved being a part of the church.

Homicide detectives found more than 10 spent handgun casings near an apartment complex on the northeast corner of West Street and Carey Avenue, where police believe the suspect was trying to shoot someone in a dark-colored car on West. Wilson happened into the line of fire, and was shot once in the upper right side of his body, Redcay said.

Wilson lost control of his truck and was helped to a stop by a man who was driving in front of him at the time of the shooting. Wilson was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center, where he died from his injury, Redcay said.

Police canvassed the area, but witnesses could only report hearing gunshots and catching a glimpse of a man in the area where police believe the shots came from. Investigators do not have a detailed description of the suspect, who is believed to be armed with a semi-automatic pistol.

Anyone who has any information about the suspect or the occupants of the dark-colored car is asked to call police at 633-1390 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.