Shooting at Casino Parking Lot Near Las Vegas Strip Leaves Man Hospitalized 

Posted on: January 17, 2021, 01:38h. 

Last updated on: January 18, 2021, 03:45h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

Las Vegas police this weekend were investigating a shooting at a casino parking lot that left one person hospitalized, according to a published report.

Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino towers over traffic near the Las Vegas Strip. The resort’s parking lot was the site of a shooting on Jan. 16, police said. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Police responding to a call about a shooting on Saturday at 2:30 am discovered a victim at the parking lot of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The unidentified man had been shot at least one time, police said. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition. He was expected to survive, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.  

Authorities did not immediately release information about any suspects or motive.

The Rio is an off-Strip resort located just west of Caesars Palace. The Rio is outside Las Vegas city limits. However, the combined city-county police department, known locally as Metro, patrols that area.

Crackdown on Crime

Earlier this month, Metro released figures detailing the department’s effort last year to combat violent crime in the tourism areas. 

The department referred to this effort as “Operation Persistent Pressure.” This beefed-up police presence occurred on Friday and Saturday nights from Sept. 18 to Dec. 20.

At the time, Sheriff Joe Lombardo referred to late Friday and Saturday nights as the “bewitching hours.” Metro is overseen by an elected sheriff.

During “Operation Persistent Pressure,” Metro arrested 1,229 people and confiscated 64 guns on the Strip and nearby areas. Of the arrests, 36 percent were for felonies or gross misdemeanors. These included assault, robbery, and illegal shooting, according to Metro Capt. Dori Koren.

This effort was prompted by a surge in shootings and fights on the Strip and nearby areas in the last half of 2020. The increase in violent crime led to several people being hospitalized.

Koren recently said the surge in crime has been “resolved to some extent.”

“Violent crime on and around the Las Vegas Strip began to rise significantly in September,” Koren said in a statement published in the Review-Journal. “The primary driver for this activity was related to a sharp rise in firearm-related incidents and aggravated assaults.”

Last year, Koren told county officials that out-of-state gangs and visitors were responsible for “a good portion” the violence.

No Baseball Stadium at Rio Site

Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) ordered casinos statewide to close in March when COVID-19 cases began to spike. The governor allowed casinos to reopen June 4. Some opened right away. Others began operating again over time.

The Rio was one of the last resorts in the area to reopen. It began operating again on Dec. 22.

Earlier this month, an executive for the company that owns the resort dispelled rumors that the Rio would be demolished and that a Major League Baseball stadium would be built at the site.

Civic leaders are hoping to lure a big league baseball team to the Las Vegas Valley. Rumors have persisted that a stadium might be built at the Rio site to lure a team.

However, Eric Birnbaum of Dreamscape Cos. said it is “amazing the rumors that get thrown out there.” He said it “was never the case” that the Rio would be torn down. The resort first opened its doors 31 years ago this month.