LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — 911 calls obtained by Channel 13 show how quickly an argument turned deadly at an east Las Vegas Walmart last week.
As we understood it up to this point, the incident began as an argument between four people that turned physical before the first gunshot was fired inside the Walmart near Boulder Highway and Nellis Boulevard early on July 21.
When it was over, one man would be dead, and another would be hospitalized with critical injuries.
These are the people we know to be involved and what we know of their role in the events, based on court documents we've obtained, information from police, and the calls themselves:
- 35-year-old Travis Ward, who, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, was fatally shot by an officer after he shot another man inside the store
- 28-year-old Kwame Swain: One of the people involved in the initial argument, and the man who police say was shot and critically injured by Ward
- Swain's girlfriend, whom Channel 13 is not identifying because she has not been charged with any crime
- Raqiya Smith, who was identified by police at different times as both Ward's wife and as his girlfriend. According to police, Smith called Ward and told him about the fight before he showed up to the store with a gun.
- Ameea Blue who, with Smith, was involved in the fight with Swain and his girlfriend.
- Officer Cristobal Magana: The first officer who responded to 911 calls about the fight, and the officer who fatally shot Ward as he ran out of the store
On the 911 audio recordings, which we obtained through a public records request on Wednesday, the Walmart security guard gives dispatchers a real-time account of the fight.
WATCH | What a security guard heard as the fight unfolded
The call begins with the security guard telling dispatchers, "We have a big fight going on. I need you guys here now." Just over four minutes later, the caller tells dispatch, "He shot him. He f—ing shot him."
What happened in the course of the fight is partly detailed through the security guard's phone call. What's still not clear from the calls and documents we've reviewed is what started the fight in the first place.
Both Smith and Blue have declined Channel 13's request for a jailhouse interview.
