Las Vegas: 2 Killed, 6 Injured in Broad Daylight Stabbing Spree Near Casino; Knife-Wielding Suspect Identified
Two people died, and six others were wounded after a stabbing spree in front of a casino along the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday morning. According to KTNV, Capt. Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said three victims are in critical condition.
Police received reports about a stabbing incident near the Wynn Casino and Resort on Las Vegas Boulevard at around 11:41 a.m. The suspect reportedly had substantial blood "on his sleeves" and was apprehended in front of the Venetian.
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Motive of Suspect in Las Vegas Strip's Stabbing Spree Is Not Clear
Police said the stabbings occurred in multiple locations, and some of the victims included residents, tourists, and showgirls, who take photos with tourists on the Las Vegas Strip.
Authorities said the suspect, who was not from the area, used a large knife with a long blade. They said he would be booked into the Clark County Detention Center as they worked to confirm his identity.
Reuters reported that one of the victims died at the scene, while another passed away at a nearby hospital. In a statement, police said three of the six hospitalized victims were already in stable condition.
Authorities noted that the suspect's motive was still not known. Deputy police chief James LaRochelle said there was no altercation before the stabbing spree, and some witnesses followed the suspect as he fled on foot before he was arrested. Koren said the large kitchen knife used by the suspect was recovered at the scene.
Suspect in Stabbing Spree at Las Vegas Strip Identified as Yoni Barrios
Pierre Fandrich, one of the witnesses, told KTNV he thought the "three or four showgirls," who were screaming, were laughing, People reported. He said there was so much blood on the ground that, at first, he thought one of the girls had fallen from the bridge.
Fandrich noted that he did not see the suspect because "everything happened so fast." Another witness told KTNV that the suspect stabbed the "showgirls" after they declined his offer to pose for a photo with him while holding a knife. He reportedly told the women he was a chef.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department identified the suspect as Yoni Barrios, 32. He will reportedly face two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon.
The Clark County Coroner's Office has also identified the two people who died. They were Brent Allan Hallett, 47, and Maris Mareen Digiovanni, 30. Both lived in Las Vegas.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: 8 People Stabbed on Las Vegas Strip - From FOX5 Las Vegas
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