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Reno Shooting: Nevada Police Fatally Wound Driver Smashing Into Local Street Food Festival

By Zachary Volkert
Published on: 15:49 PST, Jul 3, 2016

A fatal shooting took place in downtown Reno, Nevada, between police officers and a man who drove his car into an outdoor street food event. The suspect, an adult male, died later as a result of his wounds.

Police are still investigating the occurrence and have released little other information, including whether or not anyone else was in the vehicle or if the subject was armed. Local authorities told Reno Gazette-Journal that the suspect fled from a traffic stop into the heart of the city’s casino district. There, he swerved with what investigators believe was the intention of hitting a cop before running through a barricade blocking off Wing Fest from the rest of the street.

Just a block south of the famous Reno “Biggest Little City” arch, he was shot fatally by at least one officer. Bullet holes can be seen in the windshield and car door in photos of the incident released by local media.

Some Reno citizens took to Facebook after the scare to post their own first-hand experiences of the shootout. One local woman, M’Lisa Elgin, described it as the scariest moment of her life. She also mentions the suspect using a firearm of his own, but this has not been confirmed by police.

“I don’t think I have ever been more terrified than today. While My husband, Oliver and I were at the wing fest some seriously disturbed people drove their van into the crowd and open fired, the police shot back and the situation was controlled quickly but in just the few moments while I sat huddled in a liquor store trying to calm my son down and wondering where my husband was, praying he was safe, I felt fear like I had never felt before. Glad my family is safe, we are just a bit shook up.”

Another Reno man, Brandon Fowler, who was attending the event with his wife and two children, recounted being locked down inside a local McDonald’s where he and other customers waited in terror as events unfolded outside.

“Five minutes in, people rush into the building. Soon after, an employee locks the door. Jessica has already put Eli under the table so I follow suit with Aya. They speak of gun shots. After some arguments between customers and employees, people leave and we push our way to the back, beyond some cement walls. The doors are unlocked shortly after, and we leave, making our way opposite of the manic crowd. We later heard that someone hit a barricade with their car and cops had to shoot him. I have a lot of questions and concerns. I’m not the conspiracy theory type but it doesn’t feel right. Our kids don’t deserve to have to have shootings and bad people explained to them at such a young age. They deserve their years of innocence. And now I feel like I need to draw up a will, just so my children can go to a trustworthy guardian.”

More details about the Reno shooting are set to be released following a full Nevada police inquiry into the matter. Despite the violent episode, Wing Fest carried on as scheduled.

[Image via Getty Images]

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