Police stop armed gunman at northern Nevada casino, multiple fatalities

By Brittany Sheehan  

Nevada News and Views

A dangerous situation unfolded early Monday morning at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. A gunman opened fire just outside the casino around 7:30 a.m., shooting multiple people in the valet area before police stopped him.

The tragedy: At least wo people were killed and several others were injured in this senseless act of violence. Police responded fast. Within minutes, authorities located the suspect, and officers shot him to stop the threat. The suspected shooter was also injured and taken to a hospital.

Caroline Ackerman, a spokesperson for Renown Regional Medical Center, said the hospital’s emergency department received several patients with gunshot wounds. Police have not said exactly how many people were hurt.

Quick Police Response Saves Lives

Here’s what matters to conservatives who believe in law and order: the system worked. Police got the call and were on scene fast. They found the shooter in just four minutes and used deadly force to stop him before he could hurt more people.

This was an officer-involved shooting, meaning police had to shoot the gunman to protect innocent lives. This means our brave law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way and made the tough decision to use deadly force when necessary. That’s exactly what we want to see.

The Grand Sierra Resort is a big place. It claims to have the biggest casino floor in northern Nevada and sits just a few blocks from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. It’s also one of the tallest buildings in the city, with nearly 2,000 hotel rooms. A shooting there could have been much worse without quick police action.

Why This Matters to Conservatives

This incident shows why we need strong law enforcement, not defunded police departments. When seconds count, police are minutes away. But in this case, they were there in four minutes and stopped a dangerous person.

Nevada has been dealing with gun violence issues. More than a year ago, two men were charged with fatally shooting another man who was staying at the resort in January 2024. The state is also still haunted by the 2017 Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people.

Governor Joe Lombardo, a Republican and former Clark County Sheriff, released an official statement about the shooting.

“My office is aware of the officer-involved shooting near the Grand Sierra Resort this morning,” Lombardo wrote.: “The Nevada Department of Public Safety is assisting local authorities with this investigation and will provide support to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and Reno Police Department as needed.”

The governor also asked for prayers, saying: “While we wait for more information, please join Donna and me in praying for the victims and their families and for our brave first responders.”

What Critics Are Saying

Some local officials are using this tragedy to push their political agenda.

“My heart breaks for the victims, their families, and our entire community. Reno is strong — but we are not immune to the epidemic of gun violence gripping this nation,” city council member Devon Reese said in a social media post.

Notice how quickly some politicians jump to blame “gun violence” instead of focusing on the criminal who chose to hurt innocent people. They want to talk about guns instead of the real problem: bad people doing bad things.

The left often uses these situations to call for more gun control laws. But Nevada already has plenty of gun laws. What stopped this shooter wasn’t another law on the books. It was good guys with guns — our police officers.

Looking Ahead

This situation could have been much worse. We should be thankful for the quick response by law enforcement. But we also need to ask tough questions.

Why are we seeing more violence at public places? What can we do to better protect law-abiding citizens? How do we make sure police have the tools and support they need?

What Conservatives Can Do

First, support our police. When anti-police activists try to defund law enforcement, remember scenes like this. Our officers risk their lives to protect us.

Second, push back against politicians who use tragedies to advance gun control. The problem isn’t law-abiding gun owners. The problem is criminals who don’t follow any laws.

Third, support tough-on-crime policies. We need prosecutors who will actually prosecute violent criminals. We need judges who will keep dangerous people behind bars.

Finally, stay alert in public places. While we can’t live in fear, we can be aware of our surroundings and have a plan if something goes wrong.

The investigation is still ongoing. Police haven’t released details about the shooter’s motive or identity. We’ll keep watching to see if this was a random act of violence or something more planned.

What we do know is that when evil showed up in Reno on Monday morning, good people with guns stopped it fast. That’s a lesson worth remembering.

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Brittany Sheehan is a Las Vegas-based mother, policy advocate and grassroots leader. She is active in local politics, successful in campaign work and passionate about liberty.