An armed man holding a young child hostage fired his weapon while pointing it at the child as Las Vegas police shot him, leaving both dead in what police say began as a domestic violence call early today in southeast Las Vegas.
Metro Police officers responded around 1:20 a.m. to the 8400 block of South Maryland Parkway after receiving a report that a male was battering a female and attempting to take a juvenile from a residence, Capt. Ryan Wiggins said during a preliminary briefing this morning near the crime scene. While officers were responding, they received additional information that the male was armed with a handgun and had fired his weapon in the parking lot of the apartment complex, Wiggins said. When officers arrived, the female told them the male was inside the residence with the juvenile and was armed with a handgun.
After officers got additional resources to the scene, the suspect left the residence while pointing a firearm at the juvenile and holding the juvenile hostage, Wiggins said.
Officers ordered the suspect to surrender, but he refused and continued approaching them while holding the juvenile hostage, Wiggins said. Officers then fired their weapons, striking the suspect.
At the same time, the suspect fired his weapon at the child.
Medical personnel transported the juvenile to a local hospital, where the youth was pronounced dead. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The juvenile was “very, very young,” Wiggins said. “Younger than 5.”
The incident marks the third officer-involved shooting in Metro’s jurisdiction in 2026, Wiggins said. Metro will provide more details within 72 hours, which is the department’s standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting.
