A North Las Vegas man was killed during an attempted carjacking, when the victim shot him with his own firearm.
The incident occurred in late November as an unidentified woman and her friend were on their way to a Thanksgiving event. When the two arrived early they decided to wait in the car.
As they waited in their car, they noticed another vehicle approaching rapidly. Two men then emerged with guns drawn toward the woman and her friend, forcing them to exit the vehicle.
The suspects entered the car, but experienced great difficulty engaging the vehicle into drive. The owner of the car tried to explain that a button had to be pushed in order to shift the gears. While struggling to figure out how to operate the car, the suspect in the driver’s seat placed his gun on his lap. The other suspect had climbed into the passenger seat.
At this point the owner of the vehicle instructed her friend to run away and flee the scene. She then grabbed the suspect’s gun from his lap and ran as fast as she could from the criminals.
While fleeing, the suspect chased her down and tackled her. According to reports, the woman was unable to escape from the man who had her pinned down, so she shot him with his own firearm she had taken moments earlier.
The woman told detectives she was unsure if she had shot the man once or twice. The second suspect then began firing his weapon toward the woman and she sprinted to a nearby side yard to take cover. The victim reported that the gun she just used to defend herself had jammed and she properly cleared the chamber in case she needed to fire on the second suspect.
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The woman reported hearing the second suspect crying out that his accomplice had been shot, before fleeing the crime scene.
When police arrived the woman approached the officers, explaining to them what had occurred. She was placed in handcuffs, but was informed she was not under arrest. Officers assessed the crime scene and found the first suspect dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Police reports indicate he was dressed in a black ski mask, jacket, and jeans.
On December 2nd, North Las Vegas Police officers tracked down Jaylin Morrison, identifying him as the individual linked to a car of interest found at the scene of the crime. Morrison was taken into custody. Detectives determined Morrison was known to be associated with the two suspects.
An investigation into Morrison, concluded his involvement in the crime was to case the victims, block their car with his, and allow the other armed suspects to steal the car. Morrison has been charged with second-degree kidnapping, burglary with the use of a deadly weapon, and attempted grand larceny of a vehicle.
The North Las Vegas Police Department is continuing to look for other suspects involved in this crime. Police are urging citizens with any information to contact them immediately.