MGM Grand Casino Las VegasTwo incidents involving firearms took place at two well-known Las Vegas casino hotels this week. Unfortunately both ended in a death. The incidents happened in the MGM Grand Casino hotel and the Rio casino hotel belonging to the Caesars Entertainment group. In both cases apart from the two victims there were no injuries to other hotel or casino guests.

A self- inflicted gunshot wound

Police were called to the MGM Grand and arrived at 3.00am last Wednesday with a SWAT team and a team of negotiators. They were responding to a call from a friend of a man staying in a room in the MGM Grand Casino who said the man was armed and in danger of harming himself. The SWAT team evacuated guests from several rooms. Attempts by negotiators to contact the man didn’t have any result. When the police entered his room after about six hours it was apparent that he had a gunshot wound and police said this appeared to be self-inflicted. The man has not yet been named.

 

Dramatic incident at the Rio

The Rio hotel and casino opened in 1990 as the first all-suite hotel in Las Vegas. It is operated by Caesars Entertainment and is located off the Las Vegas strip. It has an 11 000 square metre casino. Recently it was the setting for a dramatic shooting in the early hours of the morning. A guest at the hotel casino, Anthony Wade Moore had been under surveillance for some time by detectives who suspected him of being involved in armed robberies at casinos in Las Vegas.

Police haven’t said how many robberies he is suspected of but it is believed he was a suspect in a robbery at the Palace Station and at the Sunset Station on the 9th and 22nd of November. Police discovered that the suspect was staying at the Rio so they arrived with the Las Vegas bomb squad because they had reason to believe the man was armed and also may have had explosives in his possession. Anthony Wade Moore resisted arrest and a Taser was used on him. He then reached towards his waist and was shot dead by a police officer. A gun was found on the man when his body was checked for possible explosives.

 

On the run for over a month

The 31 year old man wanted for questioning in several Las Vegas casino robberies had a long record of criminal activity. Moore’s records in Oregon list charges starting in 2003. He was arrested again in March 2014 and was released on bail on the 1st of November but instead of turning up to meet his probation officer it is believed he was travelling to Las Vegas. Police have said he entered casinos and told employees that he had a gun or explosives. It is not known yet just how many casinos Moore may have robbed before losing his life in the Rio.