Las Vegas Hookah Lounge Partiers Had Weapons During Deadly Violence

Posted on: March 15, 2022, 08:00h. 

Last updated on: March 15, 2022, 05:48h.

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

Recently released details about last month’s shooting spree at a Las Vegas hookah lounge revealed that several people had firearms with them that night. So far, just one has been charged in the incident, which left one person dead and 13 injured.

Lee Wilson Hookah Lounge Violence
Lee Wilson recently appears in Las Vegas court, pictured above. He has several charges pending following a hookah lounge shooting. (Image: KTNV)

In total, at least two dozen rounds of ammunition were fired on Feb. 26 at Manny’s Glo Afterdark Lounge by Lee Wilson, 44, reported KLAS, a local TV station. He is in custody and has several charges pending against him. They include a single count of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder.

Wilson is scheduled to next appear in court on Thursday. He continues to be held without bail. In determining not to set bail, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure noted in a prior court appearance that Wilson has “significant” criminal history, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. He had 82 arrests in Clark County since 1995.

He was also convicted on nine felonies, the report adds. He was sentenced to jail after the convictions for the prior charges.

So far, no other individuals at the lounge were charged by police, according to recently released court documents obtained by KLAS.

Lounge License Suspended

Manny’s Glo Afterdark Lounge has since had its license suspended. That came after Clark County officials determined the lounge did not have the appropriate licenses for serving alcohol and hookah or running a nightclub, KLAS said.

The lounge is located on East Sahara Avenue, close to the Strip. The lounge is about a mile from the Sahara Las Vegas.

Deadly Incident

The shootings started in what was described as the lounge’s VIP area, KLAS said. It included couches, booths, and tables, the report said. Police found 25 cartridge cases there.

The bullets damaged walls, a table, and couches, according to KLAS. The incident began as a birthday party, with violence erupting following a dispute.

One partygoer, identified as Demetreus Beard, 33, died at the crime scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Some 13 people, including Wilson, were wounded. Wilson later claimed in court he was shot six times. He appeared in court sitting in a wheelchair.

At least one person in the lounge that night was a known gang member, KLAS said. Many partygoers ran out of the lounge when the gunfire began, police said.

The shootings are believed to be the incident with the most casualties in the Las Vegas Valley since the 2017 mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay hotel. That day, Stephen Paddock fired upon the large crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.