LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said 36-year-old Justin Davidson fatally shot his mother with a stolen firearm before committing a series of carjackings in the southwest valley that left one man dead.
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The carjackings ended at Durango and Agate after multiple officers attempted to strike the suspect throughout the chase. He was found deceased by officers and SWAT in a stolen van.
Police said the incident started Wednesday at 3:46 a.m. Multiple people residing in the neighborhood of Placid Street and Maulding Avenue called about an illegal shooting.
The gunshots from a gun — which police say the suspect stole from a gunshow in Las Vegas — woke the suspect's parents. Police said Davidson's parents got into their vehicle and drove to a desert wash behind their house, where they believed their son was discharging his firearm.
Police said his parents parked and walked down to the wash. The suspect fired toward his parents, striking and killing his mother.
The Clark County coroner identified Davidson's mother as Liza Leveille-Davison, 58, of Las Vegas.
Police said the father retreated back to their vehicle as police arrived. He was unharmed. However, police said Davidson struck the vehicle as his father was fleeing.
LVMPD patrol officers arrived, and Davidson started to fire at police who were covering behind vehicles. At this moment, Assistant Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi said Davidson fired at least two dozen rounds.
Davidson then approached a running but locked marked patrol car and shot at its windows. Police said he used the patrol car to flee. No officers in this area were harmed.
In a briefing, Yatomi said Davidon traveled up to 104 mph.
She said police lost a visual of Davidson when he stopped at a gas station in the 7300 block of South Durango, near Warm Springs Road. Police said this was where he exited the marked patrol car and approached a blue truck with four occupants inside.
Police said the occupants were unharmed.
Davidson continued to flee to the 8500 block of Blue Diamond Road to another gas station where he carjacked an SUV, "occupied twice," according to Yatomi.
None of the occupants in this vehicle were injured, police said.
At this location, Officer Jacob Mekeel fired at the suspect. Police believe he was struck because blood was located inside the SUV.
27-year-old Officer Mekeel has been employed with LVMPD since 2018. He is assigned to the West Community Policing Division, Enterprise Area Command. Yatomi said he fired nine rounds and was armed with a Glock.
The suspect fled in the SUV to Durango and Mistral Avenue, near Windmill Lane. At this moment, Nevada State Police also responded.
Yatomi says Davidson followed the driver of a white van through a u-turn, to which he fired one round at the driver's side window. She says Davidson struck the driver and then ran to the passenger side of the van.
The victim of this shooting has been identified by the Clark County coroner as Gerardo Lopez-Martinez, 39, of Las Vegas.
Three Nevada State Troopers and 1 LVMPD officer arrived at the scene.
Yatomi said officers observed the suspect pushing the victim outside the van. Police fired 54 rounds at the suspect.
The officers identified in this shooting are LVMPD Officer Timothy Brooks, Trooper Martin Moran, Trooper Danny Kincaid and Trooper Luis Villanueva.
Brooks has been employed since 2018. He's assigned to the West Community Policing Division in the Enterprise Area Command. He fired 13 rounds.
Moran has been employed with the Nevada State Police since 2019. He was armed with a rifle and fired 22 rounds. Kincaid, 33, has only been employed this year. He fired 11 rounds. Villanueva has been employed since 2018. He was armed with a rifle and fired 8 rounds.
The suspect then fled in the victim's van. Police chased him until Durango and Agate.
Yatomi said a barricade was established, and the van was blocked. SWAT determined no movement in the van anymore, and that was when officers approached the vehicle.
The suspect was declared deceased.
Yatomi said the suspect wore camouflage articles and wore a tactical vest. Police have since worked on gathering search warrants where Davidson resided, including a home in Henderson.
In the desert wash area where Davidson fired at his parents, police said they found numerous loaded magazines and a notebook with various writing. Yatomi said the notebook was filled with "ambush situations, preparing for armed confrontation with law enforcement."
At Davidson's Las Vegas residence, police said they found other firearms along with bullet-proof vests and cameras.
At his Henderson residence, police said they found 60 electronic devices and notebooks. There were also written pieces that she described as military manuals that discussed police response. Police also found camping and prepping supplies such as butane.
Police said Davidson has a long criminal history dating back to 2009. Most recently, Yatomi says he was arrested for DUI in November for an incident in March. He also had arrests in drug and weapons charges that she says detectives are looking through.
At the end of the briefing, Yatomi said police need the community's help to bring foresight into any incidents.
"If you see something, say something," she said. "Report suspicious activity at 702-828-7777. It's time to have the courage, the foresight to call us and help us."
