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Gunman surrenders after one killed, one injured aboard Las Vegas bus

By Ben Hooper

March 26 (UPI) -- Police said a suspect who shot two people -- one fatally -- aboard a bus on the Las Vegas Strip surrendered hours after barricading himself inside the vehicle.

Metro Police said the incident began at 10:48 a.m. Saturday when the man, believed to be in his 50s, brandished a handgun on the second story of a double-decker Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada bus in front of the Cosmopolitan and began shooting at passengers.

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Two people were wounded in the shooting and were taken to University Medical Center Trauma, where one of the victims died. The other victim was said to be in fair condition with a gunshot wound to the stomach.

SWAT and crisis negotiators were summoned to the scene, where the suspect had barricaded himself inside the bus. The man, who was alone on the vehicle during the standoff, opened fire when investigators deployed robots, but police said no one was hit and they did not return fire.

The man surrendered to police about 3:15 p.m. and was taken into custody.

Investigators said the incident was not believed to be related to terrorism.

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Assistant Sheriff Tom Roberts told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the man had been shooting "indiscriminately" aboard the bus.

"He didn't seem to have a motive," Roberts said.

He said the man appeared to be suffering from severe "mental issues" and was seeing things.

"He definitely was not really with it," he said.

The incident occurred just hours after an early morning burglary at the Bellagio, located just yards away from the scene of the shooting. Police said the two incidents were not connected.

RTC released a statement Saturday evening:

"This morning, a shooting occurred on an RTC transit vehicle that services the Las Vegas Strip. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the rider who was fatally shot, and we also extend our sincere sympathies to the injured victim, the bus operator and the other passengers who were aboard during this tragic incident. The safety and security of our transit riders, contractors and staff is our utmost priority. We are working closely with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and remain committed to providing a safe public transportation system.

As this is an ongoing investigation, please contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for further inquiries and updates regarding this incident."

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The investigation is ongoing.

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