Schools locked down as man shot nearby

Jen Lawson

Tuesday, May 18, 2004 | 10:57 a.m.

A middle school and an elementary school were locked down for about three hours this morning after a teen shot a man in the shoulder on 28th Street at Stewart Avenue, police said.

The shooting occurred just shortly after 6 a.m. directly across the street from Roy W. Martin Middle School just east of downtown Las Vegas.

Officer Jose Montoya, Metro Police spokesman, said a man was loading an air compressor into a vehicle on Stewart in preparation for the work day when two boys, believed to be 13 to 15 years old, approached from a nearby alley.

The boys and the man began arguing, but it's not clear what sparked the confrontation, Montoya said. There might have been an argument between the boys and the man a few days ago, police said.

The man's work partner was nearby when he heard this morning's commotion. He told the boys, "We don't want any problems. I'm on the phone with 911 so you better leave," Montoya said.

The boys backed off and started walking east on Stewart.

Still on a cell phone with 911, the man followed the boys down the street at a distance until one of the boys turned and fired at least three shots at the man and then ran back down the alley, police said.

One bullet hit the man in the shoulder, but the injury was not life-threatening, Montoya said. The victim's name was not released this morning.

Police used dogs to search the area but had not found the boys as of 10:30 a.m. this morning. Police and school officials were trying to determine if the suspects are current or former students.

As students arrived at Martin and at Sunrise Acres Elementary School nearby shortly after the shooting, they were escorted into the building by police and kept inside in classrooms or the cafeteria, authorities said.

The lockdown at the schools ended just before 9:30 a.m., Darrell Couthen, spokesman for the Clark County School District Police, said.

"Lockdown procedures are practiced all the time," Couthen said. "We were able to make sure they got in safely" and stayed safe inside the school.

He said 1,353 students attend Martin and 801 attend Sunrise Acres.