LATEST: On Tuesday, the Clark County Coroner identified the shooting victim as 41-year-old Aleksandr Khutsishvili from Las Vegas.
Khutsishvili, a father who was going through a difficult time, was working to turn his life around, according to friends.
"He was the kind of guy that I knew if he was around, nothing would've happened to me," said friend Silvia James.
James said she met Khutsishvili during a walk at Nevada Trails Park near Warm Springs Road and Rainbow Boulevard. Friends say Khutsishvili was homeless and he spent his nights at the park.
"He was a good guy," said James. "He was just in a bad spot in life and it can happen to any of us."
Alex Maric, a local hypnotherapist, said the 41-year-old father had previously battled alcoholism. Maric met Khutsishvili at the very coffee shop that he was later killed.
"His eyes was bloody," Maric said. "I ask him do you need help?"
Khutsishvili reportedly said it was time for a change.
"I ask him why do you want to stop drinking? He said because of my daughter," Maric said.
13 Action News has reached out to relatives.
According to the official arrest report, 34-year-old Pedro Garcia told a 911 dispatcher Khutsishvili appeared to be reaching for something.
Prior to the incident, a Starbucks employee noticed that the card Garcia was using to pay for a bottle of water in the drive-thru was missing its microchip.
The card didn't work and Garcia was allowed to pass through the drive-thru after already consuming the water. About five minutes later, Garcia walked inside the store and fired 3 to 4 shots before his gun jammed.
Khutsishvili was pronounced dead at Spring Valley Medical Center.
Garcia is facing several charges including murder with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, burglary with a firearm, discharging a firearm into occupied structure, and owning or possessing a firearm by prohibited person.
The Starbucks reopened Tuesday and Las Vegas police officers visited employees to offer support after the shooting.
LVMPD officers visit employees today to offer support as local Starbucks store reopens for business after recent shooting. pic.twitter.com/aB0VwAHLVP
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) September 27, 2016
UPDATE: The suspect has been identified as Pedro Garcia. Several charges are pending including open murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, burglary while possessing a gun and discharging a gun at an occupied structure.
The wife of alleged Starbucks shooter breaks her silence at 11 only on @KTNV She says he had gone missing days b/f pic.twitter.com/kBf2P9PGuE
— Mahsa Saeidi (@MahsaKTNV) September 27, 2016
13 Action News spoke exclusively with Garcia's wife Monday night. The woman was too afraid to have her name released but says she's been with the 34-year-old for more than 15 years.
"He disappeared for a day or two," she said. "I couldn't find him."
Garcia's wife watched the terror unfold on the news. Soon after, she realized her husband was the alleged shooter.
Garcia had recently been released from prison and was taking classes at UNLV, according to loved ones.
Wife of suspect Pedro Garcia says he was enrolled in classes at UNLV. Full story at 11 on @KTNV pic.twitter.com/yUnJhbuVhC
— Mahsa Saeidi (@MahsaKTNV) September 27, 2016
His wife says he was haunted by the recent death of his brother.
"They found him hung," she said, "ever since then, he just wasn't the same, he would see him."
Police records shows Garcia has had run ins with Las Vegas police since 2001. Since then, he's faced police nearly a dozen times on charges, including stolen cars, drugs and possessing a firearm.
Garcia is set to face a judge Tuesday morning.
Flowers have been placed outside the Starbucks for the still unnamed victim.
13 Action News will post updates as they become available.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A customer at a local Starbucks is dead after another customer became upset because his card was declined, according to Las Vegas police.
The incident began around 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning at a Starbucks in the southwest area of the Las Vegas valley near Warm Springs Road and Rainbow Boulevard.
Police say that a customer became upset after his card was declined when he tried to pay for his order at the drive-thru window.
He then entered Starbucks and engaged another man in a confrontation. The suspect then pulled out a gun and shot the customer. He also shot into the air and threatened other customers.
Police say they received several phone calls about the incident including phone calls from the suspect, who tried to direct police to look for someone else. He then put down his weapon and left the Starbucks with other customers when police arrived.
However, a Las Vegas police officer stopped the man and placed him into custody. The suspect then told the officer that he had a bomb in a backpack.
Other businesses were evacuated in the area and the nearby roads were closed.
It took police a couple of hours to determine that there was no threat of an explosion. However, they remained on scene Sunday afternoon to continue their investigation into the shooting.
The customer was transported to Spring Valley Medical Center where he died.
Police described the man as Hispanic and in his 40s. They also said that he has a criminal history and may be affiliated with a gang.
The Clark County coroner will release the name of the man who died after his relatives have been notified.
