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Cops Wound Bystander While Shooting at Man Waving Gun on the Las Vegas Strip

A juvenile bystander was injured when police opened fire on a man brandishing a gun in front of the fountain at the Bellagio casino.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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A juvenile bystander was wounded when police opened fire on a man brandishing a gun on the Las Vegas strip, forcing the busy tourist corridor to close for several hours on Friday night.

An officer responded to emergency calls at around 7:15pm about a man waving a gun and pointing it at passersby on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Bellagio casino, and the individual did not comply with a number of verbal commands to surrender, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Captain Matt McCarthy said in a video news release.

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The officer fired his weapon, missing the suspect but grazing a nearby juvenile and the clothing of an adult, he said. The minor was treated and released. The adult was unharmed, he said.

The Las Vegas strip, typically packed with cars and pedestrians on Friday nights, was closed for several hours as authorities investigated.

Cops just shot someone in front of the — Jill Honken (@JillHonken)January 23, 2016

The gun shots — Jill Honken (@JillHonken)January 23, 2016

The gunman faces several felony charges in the incident, McCarthy said. He did not give any other details.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that some tourists initially thought the shooting was part of a movie shoot. The latest installment in the Bourne action series had been filming earlier in the area on Friday.

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Photo via Wikimedia Commons