Street violence continues in neighborhood

Keith Paul

Wednesday, March 21, 2001 | 11:05 a.m.

Two teenagers shot while playing basketball Tuesday afternoon were apparently innocent bystanders of a drive-by shooting in a North Las Vegas neighborhood marred by eight slayings in six weeks.

Police suspect a 19-year-old man, also shot in the drive-by in the 1900 block of Nelson Avenue near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Avenue at about 2:55 p.m. Tuesday, might have been the intended target.

Detectives are investigating the shooting but, in light of the latest slayings and several other shootings attributed to two gangs that are retaliating against each other, police suspect gangs are also involved in Tuesday's shooting.

"If he (the 19-year-old man) was the target, like we suspect he was, we might have retaliations for it," said Lt. Art Redcay, North Las Vegas Police spokesman. "The two kids were just playing basketball and just happened to be in the area when the shooting happened."

A man in a white Dodge Durango drove up on Nelson Avenue and two passengers opened fire, hitting the man and the two teens. The driver sped from the area in the Durango but was stopped a short distance away and charged with traffic-related offenses. The two suspected gunmen were not in the car at time, Redcay said.

The three victims were treated at University Medical Center for non-life threatening wounds to the legs and arms and were released.

In the same area, another shooting occurred less than an hour later. Police found a car in a parking lot, which had been shot several times, in the 2500 block of Morton Avenue. Police didn't find anyone who had been injured, Redcay said.

A few hours after the shootings children were back out in the neighborhood playing. Residents seemed to have become accustomed to the sounds of gunshots but said they were were afraid of the potential for violence.

One man, who was visiting his mother and father in the neighborhood when Tuesday's shooting occurred, would not give his name for fear of retribution.

"I'd introduce myself, but I'd better not because next time they'll be pointing the gun at me," the man said, as he stood in front of his parents' home on Nelson. "It's sad to see, and I just worry that my mother or father could be next."

Residents said though their neighborhood has been the scene of shootings in the past, the violence has increased recently.

"A lot of these kids that are shooting here don't even stay in the neighborhood," one woman, who lives on Nelson, said. "It's never been this bad."

Mayor Michael Montandon was in the same neighborhood this past weekend as part of his campaign for re-election.

"I, like all the citizens, am concerned about the violence," he said. "My kids go to school there at Gilbert (Elementary School), so I have a vested interest in their safety as well as the safety of all the residents."

Gilbert is a couple of blocks from the scene of several shootings and slayings.

Metro and North Las Vegas police increased patrols about two weeks ago after six slayings, including the killing of two bystanders -- a church deacon and an 18-year-old woman. Still, two homicides and several other shootings have happened since more patrols were added.

None of the homicides have been solved, prompting some residents to claim police weren't doing enough. Police say witnesses weren't providing information in the crimes.

But on Tuesday afternoon several residents provided information and were helpful as police searched for evidence in the Nelson Avenue shootings, Redcay said.

"People cooperated and were telling us as much as they knew," he said. "These kids were innocent bystanders, and it could have been any one (of the residents') kids."

Sun reporter

Jace Radke contributed to this story.