Homicides down in Las Vegas metro area in year’s 1st half

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Homicides are down in Nevada’s Clark County in the first half of this year, but authorities say gun violence and domestic killings remain a real concern.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Sunday that at least eight people were killed because of domestic violence in the metro area in the first six months of this year.

Across Clark County, 89 people have been killed between Jan. 1 and June 30 including 74 deaths that were investigated by the Las Vegas Metro Police.

The Review-Journal said police across all departments in the county investigated three mass shootings in the first half of this year.

At least 30 homicides in the county involved men killed during a fight with another man.

“Perceived disrespect associated with social media and in-person fighting has become a significant issue,” Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told the Review-Journal. “Instead of reacting with their words and feet and hands, now they’re reacting with guns, and that is a disturbing trend.”

County authorities had investigated 104 killings by July 1, 2021 — 15 more than this year.