Man Prohibited from Owning Firearm Shoots and Kills 5 at Apartments Near Las Vegas
A man with a history of felony convictions, Eric Adams, opened fire at an apartment complex near Las Vegas, killing five people and injuring a 13-year-old girl, according to court records. Adams, who was prohibited from owning a firearm, later killed himself as North Las Vegas police officers confronted him.
The incident began when Adams visited his ex-girlfriend at a ground-floor apartment, where they argued, leading Adams to shoot her 24-year-old daughter, Kayla Harris, and her girlfriend, killing them both. Adams then fatally shot a 20-year-old neighbor who came from his second-floor apartment to help. He proceeded to the neighbor’s upstairs unit, where he killed the neighbor’s grandmother, Damiana Moreno, 59, and mother, Amy Damian, 40, and critically injured his teen sister. Adams then took his ex-girlfriend hostage and fled in a vehicle. She managed to escape and find a police officer for help early Tuesday morning.
Around 10 a.m. Tuesday, police received a tip that Adams had been seen at a business in North Las Vegas. Officers spotted him with a firearm and pursued him into the backyard of a nearby home, where he refused to drop his weapon and ultimately died by suicide. The Clark County coroner’s office confirmed Adams was 48 years old at the time of his death.
Adams had a criminal history in Clark County dating back to 1994, including convictions for battery, domestic battery, and battery on a police officer. In February, he was arrested for domestic battery by strangulation, but the case was dismissed when the victim didn’t cooperate with authorities.
Police spokesperson Brian Thomas emphasized that Adams, due to his felony convictions, should not have possessed a firearm. Investigations are ongoing to determine how he obtained the handgun used in the shootings.
Among the victims, Kayla Harris was a college basketball player at Adams State University in Colorado and was pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. The university’s president, David Tandberg, expressed grief over her death, noting her accomplishments on and off the court.
The coroner also identified two other women killed in the upstairs unit as Damiana Moreno and Amy Damian. Another victim, Jeannette Faria-Webster, 22, was later identified, but details about the final victim have not been released.
Adams’ former public defender, Michael Hyte, declined to comment on the case. The tragedy highlights the ongoing issues related to gun ownership restrictions and enforcement, particularly concerning individuals with violent criminal backgrounds.