Shooter opens fire outside Reno casino, killing 3 and injuring several others : NPR

The police responded to a shooting outside the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., July 28, 2025.

Andy Barron / AP

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Andy Barron / AP

Reno, nev. – A shooter opened fire on Monday outside the largest casino in Reno, Nevada, killing three people and injuring three others before the police pulled the suspect and arrested him, officials said.

The suspect had no connection known with the victims, and he was not clear if he was invited or employed by the Grand Sierra Resort, one of the most important places in Reno who organized concerts, sporting events and a campaign rally by President Donald Trump before the 2024 elections. Near the Californian border and just north-east of Lake Tahoe, the city is a tourist destination.

Police were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting.

Two victims were in critical condition, while the hospital was treated and released from the hospital, said Chris Crawform, the police chief of the neighboring city of Sparks whose department is investigating.

The shooting occurred around 7:30 am when the shooter approached the valet car park in the casino-hotel, released a handgun and pointed it to a group of people, the police said. His weapon initially worked badly, but he was able to quickly had him fired several times before fleeing on foot in the parking lot where he met a security guard of the armed casinos. Crawforth said the shooter had opened fire on the guard, who made fire while the shooter fled.

The suspect then shot someone who passes in the parking lot, hitting and killing the driver before the police arrived on the scene within three minutes of the shot.

“There was an incredible and fast action that took place,” said the mayor of Reno, Hillary Schieve, adding that it prevented the suspect from entering the casino-hotel to continue the outburst.

The shooter had several firearms magazines, according to Crawforth.

The suspect shot from Reno police officers and hit a patrol vehicle. Several officers were burnt down, hitting the suspect, said Crawforth. The suspect, whose name has not been released, remains in critical condition.

Michael Sisco, 60, said he was in his room and went to the valet for his car when he heard exploded sounds. He looked through his window and saw people screaming and running from the valet region.

He said he had seen a man holding his stomach and stunning before falling motionless next to a car. Sisco moved away from the window as the gunshots continued.

“Half an hour after the incident, I started to tremble because I realized that I could have been there,” he said. “This is exactly where I was going.”

Christina Martinez heard the gunshots when she went up in an elevator in the hall, and they still left when she came out on the 18th floor.

Someone in a neighboring room told him that there was a shooter just outside the main entrance, near the place where Martinez said she was taking a coffee for a few moments before.

“I feel very blessed, but that’s the reason why I had a panic crisis,” she said. “I said to myself:” Oh my God. I was right there. “”

A few hours after the shooting, the entrance inside the casino leading to the valet area was wired to the guests and privacy screens were placed in front of the glass doors to block the view outside.

In addition to those who were killed and people taken to the hospital, three others were treated for minor injuries to the casino, according to Devon Reese, president of the Board of Health in northern Nevada. One person was blurred by a bullet on his little finger, one was treated for severe anxiety and one was injured during his race, he said.

An officer was also injured in what was probably “glass fragments,” said Reno police chief Kathryn Nance.

“Tragedies like this are horrible for any community to support,” she said.

More than a year ago, two men were accused of shooting another man who stayed at the station in January 2024.

The Grande Sierra claims to have the largest Casino floor in northern Nevada and is a few houses of Reno-Tahoe International Airport. It is also one of the highest buildings in the city, with nearly 2,000 hotel rooms.

“We have a heart broken by the insane violence that occurred in our parking lot earlier during the day,” the casino said in a press release. “Our thoughts concern the victims and all the people affected by this tragic incident.”