LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas man is facing murder charges after killing a man and telling police he "killed that alien".
The incident happened on Nov. 9 in the 400 block of South 10th Street.
According to an arrest report, witnesses told police they heard about five gunshots and saw a Black man holding a gun. They described him as being about 30 to 40 years old with dreadlocks and tattoos on his face.
One witness also told police his vehicle had been shot while he was sitting in it at the Las Vegas Academy of Arts theatre building across the street. The report states the building was occupied by students and faculty who also heard the shots.
About 20 minutes after the initial 911 call, the report said a plain-clothes detective spotted a man, later identified as Major Sanford, matching the suspect's description, spotted him going in and out of an apartment, and Sanford was arrested. Police said Sanford had a bag with a gun inside and told officers that "I killed that alien".
When officers went inside the apartment to do a welfare check, they found a man, later identified as Shannon Awa, who had been shot in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
During an interview with investigators, Sanford said he had been living at the apartment with his mom and Awa. He said he called Awa an alien because he is not his real brother "although he wanted to be". Sanford told police that he fought with Awa because Awa was trying to "rob him by taking his weed and gun".
Sanford is facing multiple charges including open murder, discharging a gun into an occupied structure, owning a gun by a prohibited person, and assault. He's scheduled to be back in court on Dec. 5.
