Posted on: July 11, 2024, 11:56h.
Last updated on: July 11, 2024, 12:03h.
Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park remains closed after an unnamed person was shot dead there by a ranger on Wednesday.
The park ranger “discharged their service weapon while responding to a call,” according to a statement from the Nevada Division of State Parks. The only person wounded was the person who died. That individual was declared dead at the park.
It’s likely an autopsy will be performed to confirm the identity of the deceased person, as well as reveal the cause and manner of death.
Details on what transpired before the shooting weren’t released by state officials as of Thursday.
The unnamed ranger wasn’t injured.
Following the shooting, Nevada State Parks announced in a Facebook post that Valley of Fire State Park would be closed “until further notice.” On Thursday, officials added the state park would be closed for the “entirety of the day.”
Guests in the state park with camping reservations are able to stay in the campground but can’t access the rest of the state park. Guests with reservations can enter the park through the west entrance.
This is an active and ongoing investigation,” state officials said on Thursday.
It’s likely authorities will review if the ranger was correct in using deadly force.
The park is located in Moapa Valley, Nev., some 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas and features some 40,000 acres of red Aztec sandstone.
Campgrounds have 72 sites with tables, grills, water, and restrooms. Showers and a dump station are provided. Three group-use campsites accommodate up to 45 guests. RV campsites have power and water hookups.
Las Vegas Arts District Vandalism
Several small businesses in the Las Vegas Arts District and elsewhere in Downtown neighborhoods have been vandalized in recent months.
Tacotarian, a Mexican restaurant, recently saw a man throw a rock through its window, according to Las Vegas TV station KTNV. The shattered window remains boarded up.
The restaurant’s owner revealed online that “businesses in the Arts District are under attack daily.”
In other incidents, a cash register was stolen from DE Thai Kitchen in April. Windows in the family-owned eatery were broken and cost a couple of thousand dollars to repair, according to KTNV.
In March, Dig It! Coffee was also vandalized.
Given recent acts of vandalism targeting small businesses in the Arts District, a meeting will be held on Thursday. Las Vegas Councilwoman Olivia Diaz (D, Ward 3) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers will attend.
The department is helping to provide security during evenings and early mornings for customers and business employees who want to be escorted from businesses to parking lots.
