Two men wounded in separate drive-by shootings

Heather Rawlyk

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 9:40 a.m.

A man was in critical condition and another man seriously injured Wednesday night in separate shootings.

Metro Police were called to the Cheyenne Point Apartments about 9 p.m. to investigate a drive-by shooting.

When officers arrived they found a man lying on a sidewalk in front of the complex with several gunshot wounds in his lower abdomen, police said.

The man was taken to University Medical Center's Trauma Center in critical condition, police said. His name, age and residence were not released by police.

Witnesses told police a white, four-door Chevrolet Caprice drove into the entrance of the complex, in the 3400 block of Las Vegas Boulevard North near Cheyenne Avenue, and made a U-turn to pull up alongside the victim, who was standing alone on the sidewalk.

A man in the back seat of the car shot at the victim, striking him several times, police said. The car then fled down Las Vegas Boulevard North, toward Cheyenne Avenue.

According to witnesses, there were four men inside the car at the time of the shooting, police said. Witnesses also said there was no communication between the victim and suspects right before the shooting, police said.

Police spent hours searching the area for the suspect's vehicle, but had not found it as of 11 p.m.

It is likely that the shooting was gang-related, police said.

While police were investigating the drive-by shooting, a second man was shot in an alley in the 4300 block of North Lamont Street, near Nellis Boulevard.

Police said the man was shot once in the shoulder by another man on foot at about 10:40 p.m.

That victim also was taken to UMC's Trauma Center and was in serious condition late Wednesday, police said. Police did not release his name, age or place of residence.