By MIKE BLASKY and FRANCIS McCABE
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
A “heroic” act from a brave citizen Monday morning may have saved lives after a gunman opened fire in a Strip casino.
But the man, whose name has not been released, sacrificed his own life in the process, Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
“Today’s security professionals and a heroic patron who lost his life prevented what could have been even more death and injury to people in the area,” Gillespie said.
Police said the shooting suspect, Benjamin Frazier, 41, of Las Vegas, opened fire about 5:45 a.m. in Bally’s, 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South at Flamingo Road, after an argument at the entrance to Drai’s After Hours nightclub.
Frazier asked club security whether he could go in and preview the crowd before paying a $30 cover charge. Police said he decided to pay the cover and went inside but came out shortly afterward demanding a refund because the club wasn’t full.
He pulled a gun on the security manager during the argument and began firing as several people attempted to disarm him, police said.
The security manager was shot in the arm, and another Bally’s guard was shot in the stomach. A patron who was leaving the nightclub and tried to help jumped on Frazier’s back forcing him to the ground. In the struggle, the man was shot several times. He died at University Medical Center.
“Typical good Samaritan killed while trying to help,” Sgt. John Sheahan said.
The Clark County coroner’s office is withholding the man’s name until his family is notified.
Other patrons and guards held Frazier until police arrived. Frazier, who had a head injury, will be booked in absentia on charges of murder and attempted murder. He will be booked into the Clark County jail after he is released from the hospital.
Gillespie didn’t say how many shots Frazier fired.
“I want to underscore this incident today was a random act committed by an irrational man with a violent history. It could have happened anywhere, but it happened here,” the sheriff said.
Frazier and the two security guards were taken to UMC and are expected to survive, Gillespie said. Frazier remained in a coma Monday afternoon, his uncle Robert Beckett told the Review-Journal.
Beckett said his nephew has battled issues with alcohol. Gillespie said a toxicology report will be part of the investigation.
“This is devastating. I’m celebrating my third year of sobriety, and I had hoped I was setting a good example,” said Beckett, a local defense lawyer and former Nye County district attorney. “I don’t know if alcohol was involved this morning, but there is a family history of alcoholism. I was hoping that all this was behind us.”
