By Canadian Press

Police: ‘No apparent reason’ for shooting on Vegas Strip bus

Mar 27, 2017 | 5:45 AM

LAS VEGAS — A man sitting at the back of a public bus on the Las Vegas Strip opened fire “for no apparent reason” as passengers got off at a stop in the heart of the tourism corridor, police said.

Gary Breitling, 57, of Sidney, Montana, was shot and killed Saturday before the gunman barricaded himself in the vehicle, shutting down the Strip for hours, the Clark County coroner’s office said. He died at a hospital.

Rolando Cardenas, 55, has been accused in the shooting. He surrendered peacefully after a standoff inside the double-decker bus that lasted more than four hours, police said Sunday.

Another victim was shot in the stomach and was hospitalized but is expected to live. Both victims were seated in the back with Cardenas, police said.

He was booked into jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, burglary and opening fire on the bus. An attorney for Cardenas could not immediately be found. Attempts to reach his relatives were unsuccessful.

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The bus had stopped on the Strip near the Cosmopolitan hotel-casino and passengers were leaving when Cardenas stood up and fired several rounds from a handgun, police said.

The man did not fire all of his bullets, but he did shoot at police during the barricade. Police said they fired no shots. Assistant Sheriff Tom Roberts also said that authorities believe Cardenas may have had “mental issues.”

It was not known how many people were on the bus at the time of the shooting, but the bystanders and the victims had fled. Police are seeking information from passengers who were witnesses, and created a hotline for them to call.

Crisis negotiators, robots and armoured vehicles surrounded the bus during the standoff because police did not know if there were more victims inside it.

Officers went into casinos to warn tourists to hunker down until further notice, leaving the normally bustling pedestrian areas and a road known for its bumper to bumper taxi traffic completely empty.

Visitors hid inside prominent hotel-casinos, including the Bellagio, Paris, Planet Hollywood and Bally’s, which also hold restaurants, shops and attractions.

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Follow Sally Ho at twitter.com/_sallyho and https://apnews.com/search/Sally%20Ho .

Sally Ho, The Associated Press





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