A 93-year-old Las Vegas man who complained about water damage in his apartment walked into the community leasing office and opened fire, wounding the property manager twice in the legs, according to police.
The Jan. 2 shooting at Vista Del Valle Apartments in Las Vegas was caught on surveillance video, which the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released to the public Monday.
The disturbing footage is circulating on the internet.
The victim, a 67-year-old man who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital, treated for his wounds and released, according to police.
The suspect, later identified as Robert Thomas, has been charged with attempted murder.
There were no other injuries.
A week prior to the shooting, Thomas had called the apartment office to complain about flooding in his unit, according to police.
What the video shows
Video of the incident shows the elderly suspect arriving at the office in a black coat and matching bowler hat.
As the suspect entered the front door, a female employee was seated at a desk.
Next, the manager emerged from another room in the office.
The video then shows the suspect pulling out a chair, seeming to suggest that the manager sit down.
A moment later, the suspect can be seen pulling a pistol from his coat pocket.
Appearing unnerved, the front desk employee rose from her seat and attempted to exit the office as the suspect began pointing the weapon.
Police later said the employee was on the phone with 911 as Thomas pointed the gun at her and the manager.
For a few moments, words are exchanged between the three.
Next, the video shows the suspect raising the gun and firing what appeared to be a warning shot across the room.
The spent round can be seen hitting a bank of desktop computers in the rear of the room, near a third individual, presumably a resident who came into view of security cameras and quickly fled through the rear.
Police say the desk employee next persuaded Thomas to let her walk out the front door, leaving the suspected gunman and the manager alone in the office.
That's when the video shows the suspect take aim at the manager, who was now seated and cowering in front of him, and fire a shot into one of the man's legs.
Defenseless, the manager collapsed on the floor, dropping a handful of papers he had been holding.
The video next shows the suspect continue to stand over the manager with the gun, before taking a couple steps toward the victim and firing again, wounding him a second time in another leg.
That’s when a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer appeared and fired a single shot at Thomas through the glass door, which narrowly missed the suspect, police said.
Appearing stunned, Thomas put down his weapon on the front desk just before the officer grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ground, ending the attack.
Police said Thomas received a cut on his head during the arrest.
He is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center as he awaits his first court appearance, reports said.
Aside from the charge of attempted murder, he also faces charges of kidnapping with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm within a structure, burglary with a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon.
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