LATEST: According to his arrest report, Interstate 15 shooting suspect Kenneth McDonald had been smoking marijuana prior to the shooting.
He denied shooting the victims, Tom and Tracey Donahue, and told police that people in a Crown Victoria were shooting at him. According to the arrest report, when recounting the shooting, McDonald repeatedly squeezed his left hand as if firing a gun and yelled "bang, bang, bang" several times. He also denied to police that he fired or even was in possession of a gun while on I-15.
According to the arrest report, Tom Donahue told police that there were no incidents between him or other drivers from the time he left his home until the shooting around 9:30 a.m.
He told police he was traveling in the number two lane when a light-colored car pulled in the number one lane next to him but there was no interaction. According to the report, bullets hit Donahue's Crown Victoria and his wife, Tracey. Tom then pulled over to the center of the freeway and struck the wall and then applied pressure to Tracey's wound. Tom was also hit.
A semi-truck driver also told police that the suspect was shooting at his truck, which was hit in the tanker trailer, police said.
Around 9:45 a.m., several witnesses called police about a man armed with two handguns. An employee told police the suspect approached the pharmacy center and pointed a handgun at her. The CVS employee told police that he pulled his pants down and told her to do something to his genitals.
Not long after, McDonald was taken into police custody.
McDonald told police that he went to the CVS to get medication for his back. He denied any sexual assault at the business and having a gun at the business. Police said surveillance video also backs up both the assault and gun possession.
In addition, police found 17 casings in McDonald's vehicle, a Mercury.
During the interview with police, McDonald also made several references to the Grand Theft Auto video game and said he had been playing video games.
"That's a big red flag," said 13 Action News Crime and Safety expert, retired Las Vegas police Lt. Randy Sutton.
In the controversial video game, players commit many crimes including drive-by shootings. Sutton said the comment could be the suspect looking ahead to trial.
"There have been defenses put up that I would laugh at," he said, "but there have been gullible juries that have looked at it and go, well, you know, maybe."
McDonald faces charges of murder with a weapon, attempted murder with a weapon and four counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. Police said he could be facing more charges.
UPDATE: The Clark County coroner identified the woman killed as 48-year-old Tracey Donahue of North Las Vegas.
The victim’s family believes the attack may not have been completely random after learning the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Kenneth McDonald, allegedly told police he was trying to shoot police officers.
“The guy admitted that he thought he was shooting at officers in the car,” said the victim’s stepdaughter Amber Garcia.
Garcia says police told her the suspect told them he was trying to shoot at police cars. Garcia says her parents were driving an old-fashioned cop car, like the kind sold at auctions.
“Because one man’s hatred for police officers has caused innocent lives to be taken,” said Garcia.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Donahue's funeral expenses. You can donate to the campaign here.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Two people were shot in an apparently random incident on Interstate 15 Saturday morning.
The shooting took place around 9:30 a.m. on southbound Interstate 15 near Spring Mountain Road. A witness driving a semi truck said the suspect shot a husband and wife in a sedan. The sedan and semi crashed after the shooting.
The wife was struck three times. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later died of her injuries. The husband's injuries were non-life threatening.
The suspect fled to a CVS near Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill Lane where he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman. The woman was able to get away.
K9 units took down the suspect, who was transported to the hospital for dog bite injuries. He was taken into custody shortly after being treated.
Police tracked the suspect to a CVS near Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill Lane. K9 units responded to the scene, and officials took the suspect into custody.
Initial reports indicate that the suspect did not know the male and female victims.
Interstate 15 opened around 12:30 p.m. It had been closed between U.S. 95 and Spring Mountain Road while officials investigated the shooting.
The intersection near Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill Lane was closed while police conducted an investigation. It opened again around 12:53 p.m.
