Early this morning an incident at Nellis Air Force Base's main gate escalated when a man was shot by the base security after discharging a firearm at the entrance. The episode, which took place near Las Vegas Boulevard and Craig Road, saw the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police responding to reports of shots fired at approximately 12:28 a.m., whereby they found that the suspect had pointed his gun towards the security officers after having fired rounds, as reported by News 3.
Given the circumstances, the security forces stationed at Nellis acted in self-defense, resulting in the suspect sustaining a leg wound. Police detailed the sequence of events, saying that after the suspect aimed at them, they discharged their own weapons. After the shooting, emergency medical procedures were followed as a tourniquet was applied to the wounded individual, as noted by FOX5 Vegas.
The man was then transported to the hospital with injuries that were confirmed to be non-life-threatening. Subsequent clarifications from the authorities assured the public that there was no lingering threat in the aftermath of the incident. Meanwhile, the investigation into the matter remains active, with details coming to light in a piecemeal but steady flow.
Nellis Air Force Base has communicated through its Facebook page that the main gate and visitor control center would not be open until further notice the Simons Gate would be operational to divert traffic and accommodate base access needs. This decision appears to be a precaution as the base responds to the recent events on its perimeter, while the LVMPD continues investigating to understand the full context of the gunfire exchange.
