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A suspect was detained early on Friday following a shooting at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada that left one man dead and two women in serious condition.
Billy Hemsley, 54, the alleged shooter, was taken into custody by officials, as per Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Lt. Jason Johansson.
Police responded to a 911 call about a shooting that occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, in a room on the eighth floor of The Mirage Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
Reportedly, a fight broke out at the hotel between four people who are believed to have known each other. As the situation grew tense, one of the people in the room shot the other three before fleeing the scene.
Las Vegas police confident of solving the case
When cops arrived at the scene, they discovered that a man had already died and that two women had been hurt. Officers and security personnel provided medical aid to the injured immediately.
According to Metropolitan Police Department Captain Dori Koren, the injured women were in severe condition and transported to the University Medical Center immediately.
Speaking about the incident, Koren said:
"These types of incidents - any types of extreme violence that happen in our city we take very seriously, you’ve seen it with all the investigations we conduct, we’re fortunate to have the best homicide investigative unit in the country with the highest clearance rates for a reason so we’re confident we will solve this case."
Koren announced that the suspect had been apprehended early on Friday within six hours of the shooting. According to Capt. Koren, officers arrived at the scene about a minute after the initial 911 call was made.
In a tweet, Koren announced the arrest by saying:
"Suspect identified, located, & arrested! And all within six hours of the incident. Great work by our [Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department] personnel & community partners. There’s no such thing as getting away with murder in Vegas!”
Police did not immediately release a picture of the suspect, later identified as Hemsley, but claimed that at least one individual in the room had connections to the area.
Posts on social media about The Mirage Hotel highlight police response
People in The Mirage on Thursday night posted pictures of Las Vegas police officers passing through the hotel lobby online. The video shows a security guard preventing guests from entering or leaving the hotel. Another video depicts a police officer with a ballistic shield in his hands, entering the hotel.
Several people who were there claimed on social media that the hotel was placed on lockdown at around 9:30 p.m. as officers searched every room to check on guests. Then sometime around 10:50 p.m., security permitted people back in.
Outside the hotel, there was substantial police presence, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department advised people to stay away from the area while investigations are ongoing.
The shooting at the famous hotel, according to the police, was "an isolated event." Koren stated that there was no danger to the public.
