A 20-year-old security guard, identified as DeAngelo Sneed, is facing serious charges after discharging a firearm and wounding a tourist on the Las Vegas Strip. The altercation, which erupted from a domestic dispute on August 30, led to Sneed reportedly intervening and subsequently shooting the tourist involved in the disagreement, as reported by FOX5 Vegas.
According to police reports, the victim was part of a group visiting from Chicago, engaging in an argument with his girlfriend when the incident took place outside the Grand Bazaar Shops near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. The confrontation heated up, and Sneed made the threatening gesture and remark, "I got this button for you," a term which police noted signifies an automatic weapon, as mentioned by FOX5 Vegas. After continued fighting, and despite any clear danger to his own life, as reported by two other security guards, Sneed fired his weapon. The felony charges he faces include battery with a deadly weapon, and the case is still open and under investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Additionally, an inquiry led by Nexstar’s KLAS has uncovered that the guard should not have been armed in the first place, revealing details that are particularly troubling given the circumstances of the case. It is highlighted in a News Nation Now article that Sneed was in violation of company policy by carrying a firearm during his shift for Securitas, a private security firm. Furthermore, Sneed has admitted to having no formal firearms training and held no concealed carry permit on the night of the shooting; information also corroborated by a security supervisor who affirmed that their security staff at the Grand Bazaar Shops are expected to conduct themselves without lethal weapons, focusing solely on verbal de-escalation and engagement.
The aftermath of the event saw Sneed detained by officers near the scene, with a handgun eventually found in his vehicle. This revelation was coupled with the admission that the firearm belonged to his brother and was purchased online. Sneed, who is currently not in custody, was ordered by Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Nadia Wood to be under home confinement with an ankle monitor. The conditions also include a prohibition on possessing weapons and an admonition to avoid further trouble until his court hearing scheduled for December 9, where he will face charges that include carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and battery with the use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm.
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