By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
News of a recent shooting at Mountainside Condominiums in Las Vegas has made national news. Associated Press reports that Trayvone Crocket was shot by Malik Kendrick, a security guard employed at Mountainside. Crocket died from his injuries, and a 14-year old girl who was with Crocket at the time was injured in the hand and wrist by gunshot.
AP reports that a coroner has ruled the death a homicide. Kendrick now faces first-degree murder and attempted murder charges in connection with the incident. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Fox 5 Vegas reports that neither Crocket nor the 14-year-old girl reside at the condominium complex, and that the shooting took place inside the gates enclosing Mountainside Condo Association’s swimming pool, while other minors were also present. 13 Action News reports that witnesses say that Crocket and Kendrick became involved in an argument, and that Kendrick left the condo complex, showing up later with a weapon, and opening fire.
The fatal Las Vegas shooting follows several other violent incidents involving private security guards working for association-governed communities.
In July, Jonathan Cromwell was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of Jiansheng Chen, a resident of Riverwalk Community Association, a large planned community governed by an HOA located in Chesapeake Virginia. Cromwell was employed by a private security company under contract with Riverwalk Community Association at the time. Chen was sitting in his parked vehicle near the community center one night – playing Pokemen Go – when Cromwell fired multiple shots into his vehicle.
In an Orlando condo association known as Uptown Place Apartments, security guard Stephen Duxbury awaits trail for the rape and murder of 27 year old Sasha Samsudean in 2015. According to reports, every young woman’s worst nightmare unfolded on the night Duxbury allegedly hacked the lock on her unit’s door, rousing her from sleep to attack her. The young woman’s parents has recently filed a lawsuit against the condominium association in connection with the incident.
And in May, authorities arrested and charged 30-year-old suspect Bampumim Teixeira, a former security staff employee of Palladion Services, with first degree murder of two prominent physicians – Richard Field and Lina Bolaños – in the penthouse condo unit where they lived. Bampumim had previously worked at the luxury condominium, known as the Macallen Building, in South Boston.
It is high time government officials address the very disturbing trend of private communities contracting with improperly vetted, dangerous individuals to serve as security guards, putting public safety a risk.
Link to AP news release and CBS Vegas video the night of the shooting:
PD: Security guard arrested in deadly east Las Vegas shooting
Posted: Aug 03, 2017 9:10 PM EDT
Updated: Aug 04, 2017 2:01 PM EDT
Written by Joe Nelson
and Brenda Yahm and Jordan GartnerA 19-year-old security guard is under arrest, one man killed and a 14-year-old girl injured all in connection with a fatal shooting that happened Thursday evening.
Las Vegas police said the incident occurred inside the pool area at the Mountainside Condominiums in the 6800 block of East Lake Mead Boulevard, near Hollywood Boulevard, at 5:15 p.m.
According to Lt. Dan McGrath, of Metro, a male suspect shot through the outside fence striking a man and a teenage girl, who was beside him.
Read more (Fox5 Video):
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