A serious incident
A stabbing rampage on the Las Vegas Strip has left two people dead and another six individuals with injuries. The incident took place late Thursday morning, close to the Wynn Las Vegas casino. According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Captain James LaRochelle, it was an unprovoked attack. There was no altercation before the stabbing began on the sidewalk.
police arrested a suspect within minutes of the attack
The two deceased are Las Vegas residents, with tourists being among the injured. Three people are reported to have critical injuries; the others are stable condition. Police arrested a suspect within minutes of the attack, apprehending him at the front of the Venetian.
Suspect in custody
The person arrested was 32-year-old Yoni Barrios, who faces two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon. Barrios was covered in blood at the time of his arrest; the weapon was a large kitchen knife. Police said that he is not a Las Vegas resident, having arrived in the area recently. Investigations into the attacks are ongoing.
street performers were among the victims
Some witnesses believe that street performers were among the victims. Speaking to KTNV, a witness said that the suspect told a showgirl on the street that he was a chef and wished to take a photo with her while brandishing his knife. The women allegedly refused the request and the man began stabbing.
Violence on the Strip
Violence on the Las Vegas Strip is nothing new. There have been numerous incidents of stabbings and shootings in recent years on the famous stretch of casinos. The most shocking tragedy was the shooting deaths of 60 people in 2017 when a man on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel opened fire on people attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival. It was the deadliest mass shooting by a single person in US history.
There have also been many smaller-scale incidents on the Strip since then, as well as some false alarms. Mass panic broke out in July when people mistook breaking glass for gunfire. Hordes of people ran across casino floors in order to escape due to the panic. Police subsequently stated that there had been no gunfire.