News briefs for May 31, 2005

Tuesday, May 31, 2005 | 11:14 a.m.

Man shot, killed in lounge parking lot

A 22-year-old man was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Four Aces Lounge on East Craig Road near Nellis Boulevard early Monday morning, Metro Police said.

A citizen called police about 1:35 a.m. and when officers arrived the victim was dead of multiple gunshot wounds, Homicide Sgt. Ken Hefner said.

Detectives believe Johnny Leverett got into an argument with another man in the parking lot of the bar and as a result, Leverett was shot.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Fire leaves family of nine homeless

A fire destroyed a home this morning near Vegas and Rancho drives, leaving a family of nine homeless, Las Vegas firefighters said.

Firefighters were called to the one-story wood frame house in the 1100 block of Orange Avenue about 5 a.m.

The fire apparently started on the back patio and one of the residents tried to extinguish the fire with a garden house but it grew quickly and spread inside the home, Tim Szymanski, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman said.

The family, four adults and five children, rented the house and did not have renter's insurance, he said. Damage is estimated at $100,000. Investigators this morning were trying to determine what caused the fire.

Motorist killed after hitting wall

A person driving a Mercedes was killed this morning when the car hit a block wall near Boulder Highway and Tropicana Avenue and burst into flames, Metro Police said.

The collision occurred just after 3 a.m. Detective Dennis Magill said the driver was heading south on Jimmy Durante Boulevard in a 1987 Mercedes when the car jumped the curb, hit the wall and caught fire.

The driver was trapped inside and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

School closed because of runoff

Lundy Elementary School at Mount Charleston was to be closed today because runoff from snowmelt began running through the building over the weekend.

Streams have been flowing and springs have appeared where there has been no running water during the six years of drought on Mount Charleston. The runoff is not threatening homes leading to the school, said mountain resident Lamont Turner on Monday. But the water reached the school and ran through it, he said.

"The water was running out the back door (of the school)," Turner said.

The fast-moving water was also blamed for undermining trees that have threatened power lines in the area.