Employees describe taking cover after off-duty Metro corrections officer shot
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Employees at a northwest Las Vegas shopping center described taking cover after an off-duty Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department corrections officer was shot Monday night.
The shooting happened around 8:43 p.m. near Cheyenne Avenue and Buffalo Drive.
Employees who spoke with News 3 said people inside businesses took cover after the gunfire as officers responded to the shopping center.
One employee said he saw a man with a gun get onto a motorcycle and drive away from the parking lot.
Police have not said what led up to the shooting or why the off-duty corrections officer was at the shopping center.
None of the employees News 3 spoke with said they saw or recognized the officer inside their businesses before the shooting.
By Tuesday afternoon, the crime tape was gone, and customers were back at the restaurants and businesses.
For people who regularly spend time at the shopping center, the shooting came as a surprise.
“It’s just shocking because me and my cousin and brother are over here so much,” nearby resident Sam Wallace said. “It’s always a good vibe. I don’t have any bad stories to tell about this area.”
Harriet Sax, who has lived in the area for 26 years and regularly visits the shopping center, also said the violence was unexpected.
“There are some problems but not at a place that would be busy,” Sax said. “I am very surprised.”
Wallace said hearing about a shooting so close to where he spends time was unsettling.
“I’m shocked that it’s this close to home,” he said.
The officer is recovering.
Investigators are still looking for the person responsible. Police have not released a description of the shooter.
News 3 is also working to obtain security video from the shopping center that could provide more information about what happened before and after the shooting.