Two days ago my friend and co-worker James Holt was shot and killed by his girlfriend's ex-husband.
James was a good guy all around, and served his country honorably in the Air-force. He was the person who set me up with my girlfriend, whom I'm now seriously thinking of marrying. He was an anti-gun democrat, but one of the few who could argue his point calmly through experience and logic, and never got mad because my opinion differed from his. He had two little boys, whom I've never met (they live with mom in California) and now probably never will. I posted this thread because I know that James had no family here in Vegas, and I just wanted to let someone, anyone, know that he was a good friend and he will be missed. Goodbye, James.
Here is most of the story that ran in the paper.
A 27-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday morning while trying to get out of a vehicle at a major Las Vegas intersection, leaving motorists to drive around a homicide scene while police looked for suspects.
A short time after the 10:18 a.m. shooting, police arrested Danny McRae, 45, on suspicion of murder.
Witnesses with cellphones helped police locate McRae in a Jeep Cherokee near Buffalo Drive and Peacock Avenue, Homicide Sgt. Kevin Manning said.
Several witnesses described seeing a man attempt to jump out of the same vehicle minutes earlier as it stopped for a traffic light at South Antelope Way and West Charleston Boulevard.
They said the victim, whose name was not released, then fell to the ground, shot in the chest and struggling to breathe.
Police credited the more than 10 witnesses who offered help, including those dialing 911 and giving dispatchers information leading police directly to the fleeing vehicle.
"We're not at the scene, and it sure makes it easy to come to a successful conclusion," Manning said.
"They provided accurate information, and we were able to vector in on the suspects. Most people don't want to get involved."
Witnesses said they were happy they were able to help, but still felt overcome by having witnessed a fatal shooting.
"I could see they were arguing, the guy in the back seat and the guy in the passenger seat," said Tony Luna, who was stopped at the intersection and who called police from his car.
Manning said McRae was sitting in the front passenger seat when he pulled a gun on the victim sitting in a back seat.
Manning said McRae offered an explanation for the shooting that was convoluted, but he would not give further details except to say the disagreement had a "woman at the root cause."
The victim and McRae knew each other and had come from McRae's residence when the conversation become heated, Manning said.
The victim's body laid in full view in the intersection while crime scene investigators worked at the scene.
"I felt scared at seeing him like that, on the ground. It's a human life," said Amelia Chavez, a rider in Luna's vehicle.
Others stopped to help the victim, one even providing a blanket to comfort him.
"The guy was trying to take a breath," said Robert Taylor, who was driving nearby and who initially thought the man had been hit by a car.
"I wish I knew CPR. ... The paramedics said he was shot in an area he couldn't be helped."
Review-Journal writer Juliet V. Casey contributed to this report.