David Nathaniel Vasquez, 19, remains at large after allegedly shooting Brandan Lucas, 31, inside a Las Vegas store
Credit: Gofundme
NEED TO KNOW
- Brandan Lucas, 31, was shot and killed while working at a Five Below in Las Vegas, police said
- Investigators believe the confrontation stemmed from text messages Lucas sent to the suspect’s girlfriend
- Suspect David Nathaniel Vasquez, 19, remained at large as of Monday
A Five Below employee was allegedly gunned down at work, allegedly after text messages sent to a teenager’s girlfriend sparked a deadly confrontation.
Police have identified the suspect as 19-year-old David Nathaniel Vasquez, who remained at large as of Monday after the June 17 shooting death of 31-year-old Brandan Lucas inside a Las Vegas Five Below store, according to KTNV, KSNV and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department previously said officers responded to the store near Rainbow and Lake Mead boulevards around 4:30 p.m. after receiving reports that an employee had been shot, per the outlets.
According to court documents obtained by KTNV and KSNV, investigators believe the confrontation stemmed from text messages Lucas had sent to Vasquez’s girlfriend, who also worked at the store.
Lt. Robert Price previously said the suspect entered the store, asked for a specific employee and got into a fight with him before opening fire.
KTNV reported that surveillance video allegedly shows Vasquez pulling out a handgun and shooting Lucas multiple times before fleeing. Police later obtained a warrant for Vasquez’s arrest on charges including open murder, per the outlet.
Vasquez allegedly drove away from the scene in a silver Honda Civic bearing California license plates, KTNV reported. Lucas was pronounced dead after officers arrived and attempted life-saving measures, according to the outlet..
“This went way too far and our family’s life is forever affected,” Lucas’ cousin, Shekiera Wright, told the Review-Journal. “We’re never going to be the same.”
Wright told the newspaper that she believes a text-message exchange was taken out of context before the shooting. She described Lucas as a fun-loving family man who had moved to Las Vegas from Detroit about four years ago.
“It’s really devastating to find ourselves in this situation because a piece of us is now missing,” Wright told the outlet. “Brandan just wanted to have a good life.”
On a GoFundMe appeal established after the shooting, Wright wrote that Lucas loved spending time with friends and family and was “always bringing energy, laughter, and light into every room he walked into.”
"Brandan was simply doing his job when his life was stolen far too soon," the fundraiser reads. "This tragedy has left our family heartbroken, shocked, and struggling to process an unimaginable loss."
The fundraiser states that proceeds will help cover funeral and memorial expenses, with any remaining funds going toward supporting Lucas’ mother.
As of Monday, Vasquez had not been taken into custody, according to KTNV and KSNV. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department or Crime Stoppers of Nevada.
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