Three other people suffered injuries and the alleged gunman is in critical condition.
A suspect is in custody after three people died and three were injured after a shooting outside a casino in Reno, Nev., on Monday morning.
During a news conference Monday afternoon, authorities said the death toll had risen from two with two others in critical condition and one person released from the hospital, Sparks Police Chief Chris Crawforth said.
The Sparks Police Department is the lead agency because Reno police were involved in the shooting. The news conference took place in Reno.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said the Nevada Department of Public Safety is assisting Reno and Sparks police and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
Reno police responded at 7:25 a.m. PDT to a report of an active shooter at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, the agency said in a news release. Police sent out an alert 10 minutes later on social media, advising people to avoid the area.
Officers quickly arrived at the scene 3 miles from downtown Reno, and a shootout ensued on the northwest side of the property, police said. The unidentified gunman was taken to a hospital and was listed in critical condition, Crawforth said.
Besides the shooting victims, a Reno officer suffered minor injuries from glass fragments.
There is no longer a threat on the property, police said. Before the shooting, the gunman was pacing the parking lot on the north side and went to the valet area, the Sparks police chief said. The assailant’s gunfire was briefly stopped when the gun jammed, the official said.
The suspect had multiple firearm magazines with him.
Five people sustained injuries in the valet area, with one person dead on the scene.
The suspect then fled north in the parking lot and was encountered by a casino security officer, who was shot, Crawforth said.
The gunman then fled north in the parking lot. Another person was encountered and killed, Crawforth said.
Michel Sisco, a resort guest, told CNN he was planning to go outside when he heard “unmistakable gunshots” in “rapid succession.”
“I looked out the window and saw people running,” he said.
Guests were informed on the intercom and texts about the incident, and they were told that they were safe inside.
“We are heartbroken by the senseless violence that occurred in our parking area earlier today,” the Grand Sierra Resort said in a statement to the Reno Gazette Journal. “Our thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this tragic incident.”
The resort later became fully operational again.
The property has 2,000 hotel rooms and suites, and a 100,000-square-foot casino, according to its website.
Grand Sierra Resort is owned by Meruelo Enterprises in Downey, Calif.
Caesars Entertainment sold the property to other investors in May 2005, then it was brought by Meruelo in 2011.
The property has previously called the MGM Grand Reno, Bally’s Reno and Reno Hilton.
