18-year-old dies after shots fired from car

Jace Radke

Wednesday, March 7, 2001 | 10:59 a.m.

An 18-year-old woman walking with friends in her neighborhood was killed after she was hit by bullets fired from a passing car Tuesday night.

Latasha P. Washington was shot and killed in the 800 block of Hart Avenue near the intersection of H Street and Lake Mead Boulevard near the border of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas at about 9 p.m.

Witnesses told Metro Police homicide detectives that three men in a blue or silver Dodge Dynasty pulled up next to the victim and opened fire, Sgt. Kevin Manning said.

"One of the victim's friends picked her up and ran down the street trying to find help," Manning said.

Metro gang unit officers and North Las Vegas Police were only blocks away and heard the shots, Manning said.

"The gang officers say that there is very little gang activity along this street," Manning said.

Police found about seven to 10 shell casings at the scene, and witnesses said that they did not know who the three men in the Dodge were.

"This is certainly very tragic," Manning said. "Many times with drive-bys the victim is just an innocent bystander."