Man arrested after threat to kill CCSN students

Jennifer Knight

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

North Las Vegas Police arrested a 40-year-old man Monday night after he walked into a classroom at the Community College of Southern Nevada and threatened to shoot everyone.

Stoney Flores entered an art class about 6:15 p.m Monday at CCSN's Cheyenne campus and handed the teacher a note that said, "I have a gun. Have everyone leave and lock the door or I will start shooting people," North Las Vegas Police spokesman Justin Roberts said.

"A call like that, you probably are going to get a lot of officers responding," Roberts said. "You're thinking Columbine probably."

Nine officers responded within two minutes and entered the second-floor classroom after the students and the teacher were evacuated, Roberts said. Two adjacent rooms were also evacuated.

Police found Flores alone with his hand in a backpack. After talking Flores into taking his hand out of the backpack, where the weapon was believed to be, an officer distracted him while another came from his blind side and tackled him, Roberts said.

Police didn't find a gun but recovered an 8-inch kitchen knife, Roberts said. No one was hurt in the incident.

Flores was arrested on charges of assault on a school employee, carrying a concealed weapon and obstructing and loitering on school grounds with a weapon, Roberts said.

Community college spokesman John Cummings said the college was grateful for the police response.

"They absolutely, in our minds, prevented a tragedy from occurring," he said.

Flores, who was not a student at CCSN, was described as despondent and depressed. During the incident he was heard mumbling something about an argument with his father, a recent divorce and being unemployed, Cummings said.

Sandy Seda, director of security and public safety at CCSN, said he talked about death.

"He said, 'I've failed at everything that I've done and I'm not coming out of here unless you guys take me out in a body bag,' " Seda said.

Police were later told that Flores had planned to commit suicide by cop, a situation where police are forced into a stand-off with a suspect that results in the suspect's death.

Cummings said the incident underscored the need for increased security on campus.

"Our equipment is inadequate at best," Cummings said.

Cummings said the Cheyenne campus had two incidents last year in which a faculty member was assaulted and robbed and a fight among students erupted at the campus bookstore.

Incidents like these, Cummings said, can be addressed with upgraded security equipment, such as surveillance cameras.

The 2003 Legislature appropriated $500,000 to CCSN to update its surveillance system and hire security guards for the three main campuses. Currently the college hires a private security service, and often the guards are not on site, Cummings said. That money has yet to be released by the university system.

The reason for the funding holdup could not be determined. University system officials could not be reached for comment.