News briefs for October 22, 2004

Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 | 9:50 a.m.

Police seek four in shooting death

Metro Police detectives were on the lookout this morning for four men they say may be connected with the shooting death of a man Thursday evening.

Officers say the victim, whose name and age were not available this morning, was shot about 6:45 p.m. Thursday in the 100 block of East Tropicana Avenue.

He appeared to have died from the gunshots, but the Clark County cororner's office had not yet determined the cause of death, according to police.

Officers are seeking Byron Wade, Robert Booth, a man known as "Patriot" and another known as "Redon" for questioning about the shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Man, 73, found dead in lake

A 73-year-old Las Vegas man who worked at Lake Mead Marina was found dead in the water near the marina Thursday morning, a statement from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area said.

The exact cause of David Wise's death was still under investigation this morning by the Clark County coroner's office. National Park Service rangers do not suspect foul play, the statement said.

Wise's wife went to the marina Wednesday night and looked for her husband between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. When she couldn't find him, she became concerned, and marina security staff and rangers joined the search Wednesday night. The search team included divers, the statement said.

Wise was found in the lake near the marina around 6:45 a.m. Thursday by a marina security guard.

Wise is the 21st person to die at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area this year.

Forgotten bags disrupt airport

Two unattended bags found at the arrivals curb at McCarran International Airport this morning forced the closure of the facility's public parking garage as the luggage was checked for explosives.

The bags were checked by the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue bomb squad and turned out to contain only clothes and toiletries, airport spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez said.

The bags were left by an Arizona couple on the curb about 1:30 a.m. when they were picked up. Officials are unsure why the bags were left, but some believe they were forgotten.

Metro Police and Transportation Security Administration officers closed the arrivals curb until the bomb squad determined that there were no explosives. The arrivals curb and the garage reopened about 3 a.m.

No flights were delayed due to the incident, and taxis and vehicles were rerouted to the departures curb to make pickups during the closure, Sanchez said.

Fire forces people from LV apartment

An early evening fire at a Las Vegas apartment complex that displaced three people Thursday was caused by careless smoking, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue said.

Firefighters received several calls about 5:20 p.m. and were told that an apartment at the Teddy Apartments, 2621 Wyandotte St. near Rancho Drive and Sahara Avenue, was on fire, according to spokesman Tim Szymanski.

When firefighters arrived, they found the downstairs apartment of the two-story building on fire with flames spreading to the apartment above, he said.

The fire was under control in less than five minutes and was confined to the one unit, Szymanski said.

The apartment was gutted and the upstairs apartment had heat and smoke damage. Damage to the two apartments is estimated at $20,000.

282 attorneys pass state bar

The Nevada Supreme Court said Wednesday that 282 lawyers have passed the bar examination to be eligible to practice in Nevada. Of the total 158 are from Southern Nevada.

Of those who took the exam, 61 percent passed. Admission ceremonies in Las Vegas are to be at 3 p.m. Nov. 5 at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall. A reception will follow at Cili Restaurant at the Bali Hai Golf Club south of Mandalay Bay.