Man found shot to death

Thursday, June 3, 2004 | 11:42 a.m.

A man in his 20s was shot and killed this morning in an apartment complex near Decatur Boulevard and Desert Inn Road, Metro Police said.

Residents of the Wood Lake Villas in the 4700 block of Pennwood Avenue called police about 5 a.m. after hearing gunshots outside.

Police found the victim in the parking lot. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police found fresh graffiti on apartment building walls and on cars in the parking lot, but Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's homicide section said investigators "have no idea if it's related to the homicide."

Two men were seen running from the complex, Monahan said.

"It's entirely possible that this was a natural reaction to hearing gunshots," he said, but police were trying to determine if the men were involved.

Investigators this morning were interviewing residents but had no suspects.

Police were stopping short of saying the slaying was gang-related, Monahan said, but detectives from the gang crime section were analyzing the graffiti.

Anyone with information is asked to call Metro's homicide section at 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.