Police identify victim and gunman in Las Vegas gym shooting

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The person killed in a shooting at a Las Vegas fitness center last week was a longtime employee who had no known connection to the shooter, police said Monday.

Edgar Quinonez, 31, of Las Vegas, was shot and killed Friday at the Las Vegas Athletic Club, police said.

Arriving officers fired at the suspected shooter, 34-year-old Daniel Ortega, as he exited the gym after firing 24 rounds, police said. Ortega, a gym member, died of gunshot wounds, according to police.

Three other people were injured at the gym on the city’s west side as gunfire erupted. They were transported to local hospitals, with one in critical condition. Their conditions weren’t released on Monday.

Officials are still investigating a motive, saying they have found no connection between the two men.

Jamie Prosser, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assistant sheriff, said at a media briefing on Monday that Ortega entered the gym with a rifle on Friday afternoon.

She said he approached an employee at the front desk and paced around before briefly exchanging words with another employee. Then he lifted the rifle and shot the employee as he fled into the gym, she said.

Parse.ly - related stories

Texas lawmakers OK former Uvalde mayor’s effort to fix police failures in Robb Elementary attack

 

Trump administration agrees to pay nearly $5M to settle suit over Ashli Babbitt shooting in Capitol

 

5 killed in Dominican border town in a suspected drug trafficking case

 

Ortega followed and continued firing, Prosser said, and at some point Ortega returned to the lobby and fired until the weapon malfunctioned. An arriving officer fired at Ortega when he opened the entrance door and he was shot by officers as he left the building with the rifle. He died at a nearby hospital, police said.

She said Ortega worked out at the gym but at this time there was no known connection to the victim.