Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Detectives unsure of exact Laughlin death toll

Metro Police detectives know three bikers were killed at Harrah's Laughlin on Saturday.

They have a videotape allegedly showing an Arizona man firing 11 shots during the melee.

But they don't know how many other people may have died as a result of the confrontation between the Mongols and the Hells Angels, two outlaw biker gangs that mixed it up during the annual Laughlin River Run.

"We have intelligence that some chose not to seek medical help and their wounds were severe enough that they succumbed to those wounds and were left on the side of the road," Metro homicide Detective Phil Ramos told Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis Wednesday.

Ramos also said that authorities have found a leather jacket riddled with bullet and stab holes, but have been unable to identify its owner.

And the victims don't necessarily match up to what investigators might expect: two Hells Angels were shot to death and a Mongol was stabbed to death. The suspect was a Hells Angel who allegedly shot Mongols.

So far no bodies have been found and Lt. Tom Monahan said the police are not looking.

"I suppose it's possible, but it's not something we're looking for," Monahan said after the hearing.

Chandler, Ariz. resident Calvin Schaefer, is the only one facing charges so far, made his initial court appearance Wednesday.

At the beginning of the hearing, Lippis ordered that no photographs of Schaefer be taken to avoid the possible tainting of future photo lineups.

Ramos took the stand as prosecutors successfully fought for an additional week to file formal charges against the 32-year-old union sheet metal worker, who has no criminal history.

Although criminal complaints traditionally must be filed within three days of an arrest, judges can extend the deadline if prosecutors are able to prove "extraordinary circumstances."

Ramos told Lippis six detectives are working 12-hour shifts on the case in an attempt to identify the bikers who took part in the incident. More than 200 witnesses have been interviewed so far and 24 of 54 surveillance tapes have been viewed.

Ballistics testing has not yet been done, either, Ramos said.

"It's mind-boggling, the process we're involved in now," Ramos said.

Ramos played a snippet of a surveillance tape that shows the events leading up to the melee and a man police say is Schaefer.

The detective said that moments after a Metro officer pulled up outside of Harrah's he saw two Hells Angels members walk into the casino. Knowing that the Mongols, a rival gang, traditionally stay at Harrah's, he radioed his concerns to other officers.

The officers informed him that approximately 30 other Hells Angels were also en route to the casino, Ramos said. Seconds later, the officer's car was surrounded by motorcycles and the bikers were running into the casino, leaving their keys in the ignition.

"I've attended the River Run at least 10 years and I've walked through the lots where the Hells Angels park," Ramos said. "I've never seen keys left in the ignition."

As officers entered the casino and began taking cover behind slot machines, the first shots were fired, Ramos said.

The videotape shows leaders of both groups talking to each other, but chaos breaks out when a biker leaps toward a rival gang member, kicking him.

A man police identified as Schaefer is seen running out of the camera's view with a blunt object, only to reemerge seconds later with a gun in the other hand.

The man fires it in several directions before shooting a heavyset man on the ground two to three times. After the injured man limps away, the shooter crouches behind a slot machine for several seconds before walking out of view.

Police say they have witnesses who will testify they saw Schaefer hide a gun in a trash can. A 9 mm weapon was found in the same trash can.

Another biker, wearing a World War II-style German helmet, white gloves and sunglasses, is seen clobbering a man in the back of the head with a tool.

Neither that biker nor a Mongol who can be seen firing a weapon has been identified, Ramos said.

Ramos said gang intelligence officers recognized Schaefer from the videotape and found him in a room where witnesses were being kept following the event.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney David Chesnoff, Ramos said he doesn't know if Schaefer was fired upon first.

However, Ramos said most people would flee a gun battle instead of trying to defend themselves.

"Unless you're a law enforcement officer with tactical training, I'd say 'Get the hell out of there, you're really outnumbered,' " Ramos said.

Ramos acknowledged that of the three men found dead at the scene, one is a Mongol who was stabbed -- not shot -- to death.

In arguing that Schaefer should be released until charges are filed or that bail should be set at a reasonable amount, Chesnoff noted that his client cannot be tied to a murder.

"Just because you're a Hells Angel doesn't mean you're not allowed to defend yourself," Chesnoff said.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ron Bloxham said even if Schaefer did not shoot anyone, he can be charged with murder under a number of legal theories, including conspiracy.

Lippis set Schaefer's bail at $250,000, but said if he comes up with that amount he must prove he obtained it by legitimate means.

The judge also gave Bloxham until May 8 to file the criminal complaint against Schaefer.

Monahan said other suspects could be in custody by that time. He said more arrest warrants could come as early as the end of next week.

Agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, along with detectives from police departments in California, are in Las Vegas looking at tapes of the incident to help identify biker gang members, he said.

"We have all the necessary material," he said. "All the pieces are sitting face-up on the table. We now need to put it together."

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