Police remain on alert after casino shooting that kills three

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Posted 11:00AM on Sunday, April 28, 2002

LAUGHLIN, Nev. - Police remained on alert for possible retaliation Sunday after a knife and gun fight between rival motorcycle gangs left three dead and more than a dozen wounded in the worst ever shooting inside a Nevada casino. State troopers patrolled Laughlin early Sunday as bikers departed by the hundreds at the conclusion of the weekend gathering of motorcycle groups that brought up to 80,000 people to the resort town. Gamblers ran for cover Saturday as 60 to 70 people fought inside the entrance to Harrah's casino. Police said gunfire erupted when a member of the Mongols group walked into a group of Hells Angels. John Davidson, 39, ducked beneath a blackjack table during the melee. "There were shell casings landing right by us," he said. "I had to pull the dealer down. She was screaming." All three of the dead were bikers, police said. One person was arrested and police had recovered several guns. About 200 people were detained for interviews, said Lt. Vince Cannito of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which patrols the Colorado River gambling resort 80 miles southeast of Las Vegas. SWAT teams and law enforcement officers from across Arizona and Nevada were called in, and authorities warned of the danger for further violence. "The rumors of retaliation have already hit the street," said Larry Tunforss, spokesman for the fire department in nearby Bullhead City, Ariz. "Our police department is beefing up intensely." Authorities locked down the city after the violence erupted shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, temporarily closing bridges over the Colorado River. The routes were reopened later in the morning, but police again closed two access roads into Laughlin Saturday night after receiving what they called credible reports of possible retaliation. Other roads into Laughlin remained open. Authorities estimated that 12,000 to 15,000 bikers were still in Laughlin Sunday for the 20th annual Laughlin River Run. State Trooper Ron Ferrara, who had been patrolling since 3 a.m., said "the possibility still exists" of retaliation. But by late Saturday, a mellow, festive mood had returned with thousands gathering to listen to a concert by The Doobie Brothers, while others admired motorcycles as they paraded up and down the strip. "It's been a good rally, other than this shooting," said Lynn Davis, a motorcycle enthusiast from Pagosa Springs, Colo., who is on his second visit to the festival. University Medical Center in Las Vegas was treating five patients, three of whom were in serious condition with gunshot and stab wounds. Of the other two, one was in critical condition with a skull fracture and the other was in fair condition with gunshot and stab wounds. Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City treated seven fight victims. Four were in fair condition and three had been released. Authorities were also investigating the death of a biker whose body was found along Interstate 40, a main route between Laughlin and Southern California. The man's body was found near Ludlow, a small California desert town about 60 miles from the Arizona border. Preliminary reports indicate the man, from San Diego, had been shot while riding his bike and was a member of a motorcycle club, San Bernardino County Sheriff's spokesman Chip Patterson said. It was not immediately known if the death was related to the casino shooting. "Most of the people here are just average working people coming to have a good time," Ferrara said. "Unfortunately, we just have a few who spoil it for the rest."