LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Clark County prosecutors are considering whether to pursue the death penalty against a 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting an 11-year-old boy during a road-rage encounter on the 215 Beltway.
Tyler Johns is charged in the November 14 shooting that killed Brandon Dominguez-Chavarria.
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Investigators say Johns and the boy’s stepfather, Valente Ayala, were jockeying for position in traffic when the confrontation escalated. According to police, Johns fired a single round into Ayala’s vehicle, hitting the child. Ayala then rammed his truck into Johns’ car to stop him from driving off.
A Henderson Justice Court judge ruled last week that prosecutors had presented enough evidence for the case to proceed to district court.
During Thursday’s arraignment, a deputy district attorney confirmed the case has been forwarded to the office’s death-penalty review committee, the internal panel that evaluates whether a homicide case qualifies for capital punishment under Nevada law.
One factor prosecutors can consider is whether the shooting endangered more than one person, something investigators say may apply because multiple people were inside the vehicle when the shot was fired. The victim’s age may also be reviewed as a possible statutory aggravating circumstance.
The review committee will make a recommendation to District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who will ultimately decide whether to seek the death penalty.
“If a jury agrees and finds the defendant guilty of something less than first degree murder then the death penalty is off the table," said former Clark County District Attorney David Roger.
Although Nevada law still permits executions, the state has not carried one out since 2006.
Body-camera video from the scene shows Johns telling officers he shot the child.
WARNING: Video contains disturbing content. Body camera footage shows officer arriving at the scene of deadly road rage shooting in Henderson
Johns is scheduled to be arraigned on January 8.
Do you have questions about crime and justice in Las Vegas? Reach out to Alyssa Bethencourt at Alyssa.Bethencourt@ktnv.com.
