A Clark County grand jury has indicted a 45-year-old Las Vegas man on second-degree murder and 14 other counts stemming from a June chase on Interstate 11 that ended when Nevada State Police troopers opened fire on his SUV, killing his passenger. Sean Shirazi is accused of driving directly at a trooper, pinning another against a fire truck, and ramming a separate vehicle before troopers shot into his Toyota 4Runner, striking both him and passenger Corinne Barnes.
According to court documents cited by FOX5 Vegas, Nevada State Police were attempting to stop Shirazi while he was driving the 4Runner on June 10 near Las Vegas Boulevard and Interstate 11. The indictment alleges Shirazi was driving under the influence when he fled from troopers, eventually driving toward one trooper, pinning another against a fire truck, and ramming another vehicle, injuring its occupant. A trooper discharged his firearm into the SUV during the encounter, and the shooting killed Barnes, 40, who was riding as his passenger.
Dashcam and bodycam footage released by Nevada State Police on June 16 showed the incident actually began as a response to an unrelated, earlier crash. Troopers were investigating a collision near the Fourth Street on-ramp on I-11 around 1:30 p.m. when Shirazi's 4Runner clipped a semi-truck before striking a trooper, according to News 3 Las Vegas. Police arrest reports reviewed by KTNV state that troopers fired six shots toward Shirazi's vehicle as he drove forward, pinned the trooper against the fire truck, and struck the other civilian vehicle.
Chaos Shut Down a Major Freeway During Rush Hour
The confrontation and the multi-agency investigation that followed forced a complete closure of westbound Interstate 11 near Fourth Street and Las Vegas Boulevard for several hours during the June 10 afternoon rush, per the same KTNV report. Interstate 11, part of the U.S. 95 corridor, is one of the main routes linking downtown Las Vegas with surrounding commuter traffic, making the shutdown a significant disruption for the area.
After fleeing the scene, Shirazi drove to his own residence and called family members before eventually taking Barnes to Dignity Health–St. Rose Dominican Hospital's Sahara Campus, according to FOX5 Vegas. He was apprehended by police at the hospital. Shirazi was later transferred to University Medical Center in Las Vegas to be treated for a gunshot wound to the chest that he sustained when troopers opened fire, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Toxicology and the Coroner's Ruling
The Clark County Coroner's Office formally identified the passenger as 40-year-old Corinne Barnes on June 15, determining her cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso and ruling it a homicide, the Review-Journal reported. Toxicology testing released by Nevada State Police on June 16 confirmed that both Shirazi and Barnes tested positive for methamphetamine and PCP during the incident, according to a report from FOX5 Vegas.
Why Shirazi Faces Murder for a Death Caused by Police Gunfire
Shirazi now faces 15 counts, including one count of second-degree murder, two counts of battery and assault with use of a deadly weapon on a first responder, and other charges tied to the June 10 incident. Clark County Assistant District Attorney Alex Chen said prosecutors charged Shirazi under Nevada's felony murder doctrine, explaining that his commission of underlying violent felonies directly resulted in Barnes being killed by police gunfire, according to the Review-Journal. Nevada's felony murder rules permit second-degree murder charges when a death occurs as a consequence of inherently dangerous felony acts, even when the fatal shot was fired by law enforcement rather than the defendant.
A Long Record of Arrests and Prison Time
Court records show Shirazi has an extensive Southern Nevada criminal history dating back to 2013, encompassing 23 prior arrests and citations for offenses including reckless driving, drug trafficking, domestic battery, and weapon possession, per the Review-Journal. Nevada Department of Corrections records indicate Shirazi served prior state prison terms beginning in June 2014 for attempted possession of a stolen vehicle, and he was sentenced again in 2020 to serve 24 to 72 months for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Shirazi is scheduled to return to court Wednesday. The case remains an active prosecution as the Clark County District Attorney's Office moves forward on the 15-count indictment stemming from the deadly June encounter on Interstate 11.
