LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Tragic is the only word that fits what happened early Tuesday morning.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was responding to a call for help at an apartment complex. What unfolded next happened fast and ended with the child and suspect both dead.
We have team coverage on what happened and what this means for the community at large.
Here's what happened
Blue lights and yellow tape surrounded this apartment complex in the southeast valley Tuesday morning.
Hours after the call came in, investigators were still here, walking the scene, marking evidence, and piecing together what happened.
Out front, a blue car examined closely by police appeared to be connected to what happened just hours earlier.
Police say the call came in just after 1:20 a.m.
A woman reported she was being battered and that a man was trying to take a child.
When police arrived, investigators say the situation escalated.
"The male was now inside of the residence with the juvenile and was armed with a handgun," said Capt. Ryan Wiggins with LVMPD.
WATCH the full briefing from authorities here:
Police say the suspect later walked out of the apartment, pointing a gun in the direction of the child and holding the child hostage.
Officers gave commands, but police say the suspect refused to comply.
Then, according to investigators, shots rang out.
"Simultaneously, the suspect, while pointing his firearm in the direction of the juvenile, discharged his firearm," Wiggins said.
Both the child and the suspect were hit.
A retired law enforcement official weighs in
Retired Metro Lt. Randy Sutton describes it as a nightmare scenario, even for seasoned officers.
"It doesn't get any more dangerous, or any more critical than that," Sutton said.
Now, he says the focus turns to the forensic work.
Investigators will examine and question many people are asking, but one without easy answers.
"When the officers returned fire, was there a possibility of the child being hit in the crossfire? Yes, it does exist."
Police have not released the child's age or how the child was related to the suspect or the woman. That information, they say, will come in the days ahead.
"These details are extremely preliminary, and we are right in the middle of a very thorough investigation," Wiggins said.
The child was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead..
The suspect died at the scene. Metro Police say more information is expected during a detailed briefing in the next 72 hours.
Are incidents like this becoming more common?
This is a growing issue here in Southern Nevada.
Abel Garcia looked up Metro's own call-for-service dashboard and found that in just the past week, officers were sent to nearly 100 incidents tied to domestic violence. Everything from active assaults to tense disputes at homes across the valley.
Metro says looking at the year so far, there have been fewer reports compared to his time last year.
But that decrease doesn't necessarily mean the problem is improving. They caution that changes in reporting, access to resources, and victim willingness to come forward can all impact those totals.
Already, in less than two months, we've covered several high-profile and tragic cases, deadly stabbings, a murder-suicide, and even an armed domestic battery that escalated into an officer-involved shooting.
It's a clear sign that domestic violence is still one of the most urgent safety concerns facing Southern Nevada.
What help is there for victims?
As Metro continues its investigation, we want to make sure we can offer help to those who might be experiencing a similar situation.
Tricia Kean sat down with Sherida Devine, a clinician with Solutions of Change counseling services, and a survivor of domestic violence herself.
She said violence often escalates behind closed doors, long before police are ever called.
Domestic violence can include emotional abuse, threats, controlling behavior, and fear.
Sherida said recognizing those early signs is critical.
"You call out a lot for work, so if your face is too bruised or something, you're very emotional, you're very sensitive. You avoid eye contact even with men. You start to distance yourself from family because a lot of things is out of fear. And it's a pattern; it doesn't just start immediately.
Tricia also sat down with Dinisha Mingo, the founder of Solutions of Change, the nonprofit arm of Mingo Health Solutions.
It offers free and low-cost therapy along with free community mental health workshops designed to support individuals and families affected by domestic violence.
The organization is now housed at Mingo Health Solutions, which also works on the prevention side, offering court-approved domestic violence classes for offenders in both English and Spanish.
The community outreach they do is a game-changer.
"A lot of times, for people who might experience domestic violence, that one-on-one therapy can be a little bit difficult because really people want to know they're not alone," Mingo said. "And so, when you're in those group settings, then the pain, the barriers, the challenges are usually more likely to come out, and then that support system becomes a greater source for recovery as well as prevention."
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is confidential and available. You can reach out to local organizations like Solutions of Change or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
Help is available, and reaching out could save a life.