JAN. 15 UPDATE: Missouri State University confirms that the teen who died in Saturday's shooting was freshman football player Richard Nelson, who was born in Las Vegas. He was 18 years old.
Nelson's mom, Roxanne Bruce says he was supposed to fly back to Missouri for school this morning, but instead was shot and killed in front of their home.
Bruce says a group of teens and their mom drove up to her house looking for Richard's sister. She says they began fighting his sister, and Richard stepped in to defend her and break up the fight. She says that's when one of the teens shot Richard right in front of her.
"I prayed to God to take me and bring him back," she says. She says her son had a promising football career ahead of him. He's being remembered both at Chaparral High School and at Missouri State in Springfield, MO where he was playing football.
"Richard is like a son and a brother," said head coach Dave Steckel. "It is a tragedy that he lost his life defending what is right. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in Las Vegas, and we know he is in a good place with God. We ask everyone to respect the privacy of our football family at this time as we begin the healing process.”
Nelson graduated from Chaparral High School and was redshirted for the Bears during the 2016 season.
Chaparral's Richard Nelson was supposed to fly back to @MOStateFootball - instead he was shot and killed in front of his house #LLRN @KTNV pic.twitter.com/JyN91ZT8nP
— Tom George (@TheTomGeorge) January 15, 2017
The shooting is still under investigation. Richard's mother says she believes she knows who shot her son, but that hasn't been confirmed by police.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Police are investigating a homicide in the southeast Las Vegas Saturday evening.
Reports of shots fired came in around 7:36 p.m. in the 4700 block of Sacks Drive, near East Tropicana Ave and Boulder Highway.
Officers say a male in his late teens was shot at least twice during a street fight between two groups of teenagers.
Police say the shooter was another male in his late teens, and he fired at least five shots.
The person shot was taken to Sunrise Hospital and declared deceased.
The shooter and the other teenagers in his group got in a car and drove away, but police say everyone involved knew each other so they have names to look into.
Homicide detectives are investigating.
