Las Vegas New Year’s Eve Shooter Reportedly Facing 74 Charges

Posted on: January 2, 2024, 08:41h. 

Last updated on: January 2, 2024, 09:09h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

The man who allegedly fired numerous bullets near the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday morning has been charged with 74 counts.

LVMPD SWAT vehicle
A LVMPD SWAT vehicle, pictured above. The SWAT team reportedly was among the officers responding to a shooting spree in Las Vegas on Sunday. A suspect was arrested. (Image: Wikimedia)

Jon Roger Letzkus, 45, is facing 72 charges of discharging a gun within a structure or vehicle within a prohibited area, according to local news reports.

He also was arrested on one count each of owning/possessing a gun by a prohibited person, as well as destroying or injuring real or personal property of another, with a value of greater than $5K.

Suffering From Ailment

Letzkus was booked at the Clark County Detention Center later on Sunday. He failed to appear in court on Monday because of an unspecified medical condition, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS. He’s next scheduled to appear in local court on Wednesday. He remained in custody as of Tuesday.

An unspecified number of shots were fired in the 100 block of East Harmon Avenue on Sunday. The location is east of Las Vegas Boulevard and is near the MGM Grand.

In statements on Sunday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers didn’t confirm which building the shooter was in when the gunfire took place, but KLAS reported he possibly was shooting from a balcony at the MGM Signature Towers.

It’s unclear how many weapons Letzkus had with him during the gunfire. It was also uncertain how much ammunition he had. Witnesses said they heard as many as 40 shots.

No one was injured from the shooting spree. Some of the bullets damaged a window and other parts of a building near where he was shooting. The motive for the gunfire remains unclear.

The shooting spree was revealed to authorities at about 6 a.m. (PT) Sunday as an active shooter, KLAS reported. Letzkus was arrested a few hours later. Some 30 LVMPD officers responded to the crime scene, including SWAT team members, according to witness accounts. The officers searched the building to confirm there was only one shooter.

Harmon Avenue between Las Vegas Boulevard and Koval Lane temporarily was closed to the public by the investigation. Police advised pedestrians and motorists to avoid the area.

Las Vegas Strip fireworks and other New Year’s Eve activities later on Sunday went on as scheduled, despite the shooting.

Shooter is a Poker Player

It was revealed this week by Poker News that Letzkus is a poker player who has taken part in the World Series of Poker and other tournaments.

Casino.org reached out to MGM Resorts for comment. A spokesman referred questions to the LVMPD.