Gunman Kills One, Injures Three in Las Vegas Gym Shooting

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A shooting at a fitness center in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon has left one person dead and three others injured. The gunman, identified as 34-year-old Daniel Ortega, was fatally shot by police after he opened fire inside the Las Vegas Athletic Club located on North Rainbow Boulevard.

The incident unfolded around 1:30 p.m. when Ortega reportedly shot multiple people as he exited the gym after experiencing a malfunction with his weapon. Fortunately, this malfunction is believed to have prevented further casualties.

“Fortunately, [Ortega] had a malfunction in his weapon which saved this from becoming a mass casualty event,” Assistant Sheriff Jamie Prosser said during a news briefing on Monday. LVMPD officers were able to see Ortega through the gym’s windows and engaged him without further incident.

Witnesses reported a chaotic scene as gym-goers fled for safety. “It was traumatizing,” said Kim Hannah, a member at the gym who tried to help a man wounded in the parking lot. “I also heard a woman screaming that her child was in the day care room.”

Two of the injured victims were transported to University Medical Center, one in critical condition. The third injured person was able to seek treatment independently for non-life-threatening injuries.

The police received reports of the shooting just before 1:35 p.m. and responded immediately. Undersheriff Andrew Walsh confirmed an officer-involved shooting took place, with officers firing at Ortega as he ran out of the gym.

Ortega, a resident of North Las Vegas and a member of the gym, was previously charged with DUI and trafficking of controlled substances in 2013, though the DUI charge was eventually dropped. There is no known connection between him and the victim who died, and authorities continue to investigate his motives.

“It’s just a weird feeling right now,” said Gary Steward, a witness who was almost at the front desk when the shooting began. “Who shoots up a gym?”

In a statement, an LVAC spokesperson expressed their heartbreak over the event and announced that the gym will remain closed during the investigation.