Poker Player Who Shot up Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve Facing Charges

Article by : Erik Gibbs Jan 4, 2024

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Jon Roger Letzkus, aged 45, accused of firing multiple shots near the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday morning, is now confronted with a total of 74 charges. Local news sources reveal that Letzkus is specifically charged with 72 counts of discharging a firearm within a structure or vehicle in a prohibited area.

In addition to these charges, he has been taken into custody on one count each of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. He is also being charged for causing destruction or injury to real or personal property with the overall cost rising above $5,000.

Letzkus was detained by the Clark County Detention Center on Sunday. He then failed to appear in court on Monday because of an unspecified medical condition, according to various sources. He is now scheduled to appear in local court this Wednesday.

An undisclosed quantity of gunshots were shot in the vicinity of the 100 block of East Harmon Avenue on Sunday. The location where witnesses and authorities confirmed the incident was east of Las Vegas Boulevard and near the MGM Grand.

On Sunday, officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) refrained from confirming the specific building the shooter occupied during the gunfire.  Various sources have suggested the possibility that he was firing from an MGM Signature Towers balcony.

The details regarding the number of weapons and amount of ammunition in Letzkus’s possession during the gunfire remain elusive. Various witnesses reported hearing over 40 shots, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the incident.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the shooting. However, some bullets caused damage to a window and various parts of a nearby building. The trigger and reasoning behind the shooting have not been unveiled.

The authorities were alerted to the shooting spree around 6 a.m. (PT) on Sunday, identified as an active shooter situation. Letzkus was apprehended a few hours later.

Approximately 30 Las Vegas Police officers, including members of the SWAT team, swiftly responded to the crime scene. The officers conducted a thorough search of the building to confirm the existence of a single shooter.

Due to the ongoing investigation, Harmon Avenue, situated between Las Vegas Boulevard and Koval Lane, was closed, temporarily, by authorities.

Despite the earlier shooting incident, Las Vegas Strip fireworks and other New Year’s Eve activities proceeded as planned on Sunday.