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Breaking News
At Least Four Killed in Shooting Incident in Nevada Casino
Aired April 27, 2002 - 07:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we've got breaking news out of Nevada this morning. There's been a shooting at a casino in the city of Laughlin. Bullhead City Fire Department spokesperson Larry Tunforss joins us on the phone now with the latest.
What can you tell us, sir?
LARRY TUNFORSS, SPOKESPERSON, BULLHEAD CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: I can tell you that the Bullhead City Fire Department was called over to Harris to assist the Clark County Fire Department with a multiple gunshot incident.
We responded to Harris Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. We responded with a total of five ambulances along with our command staff. We've transported a total of six people by ground to the hospital and two by air, and we have four confirmed dead here at the scene.
PHILLIPS: Four confirmed dead now. Is there a possibility that there are more fatalities?
TUNFORSS: Well, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Fire Department -- or Police Department is actually in charge of the scene. They have SWAT members that are suiting up now to start going into the building and start going through the entire property and doing what they do.
As far as we're concerned at this point in time, we've transported all the individuals who've been shot, and four is the number that is confirmed dead at this point in time.
PHILLIPS: Has anyone been brought into custody?
TUNFORSS: I was in the casino a little while ago. There's probably 100 people laying around the casino in handcuffs, and I'm sure a lot of that -- no one's actually in custody at this point in time or been removed from the property in handcuffs. I'm sure at this point in time they're just trying to get a feeling as to exactly what took place.
PHILLIPS: Larry, we've also been told the police are investigating whether the shooting involved members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle group. Can you confirm that or tell us more about that?
TUNFORSS: I can tell you there was rumors all week that they were coming to town. I have no idea if that involved this particular incident.
PHILLIPS: Now, this -- the 20th anniversary of the Riverrun, can you tell us about this event that is known to bring a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts to your area?
TUNFORSS: The Riverrun is an annual event that is sponsored by a promoter who brings basically Harley-Davidson motorcycles to the area. All the casinos in Laughlin are involved. They all co-sponsor it. Traffic, to get up and down Casino Drive, takes about an hour in the afternoon and the evening because it's bumper to bumper motorcycles.
For the most part, the majority of the people that come here come here to have a good time. There are families. Some people have been coming for 15 and 20 years. But unfortunately, when you get 70,000 or 80,000 motorcycles in one area, you are going to have a criminal element.
PHILLIPS: And the casino has been closed, right?
TUNFORSS: The casino's closed at this point in time. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has kind of taken it over.
PHILLIPS: All right, Larry Tunforss with the Bullhead Fire Department, thank you so much for that update. We'll continue to follow this story as we get more information.
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