Gunman Opens Fire at Caesars Palace

For the second time in less than a month, a Strip casino has been rocked by an early morning shooting. This time, the location was Caesars Palace.

Around 4am yesterday (Saturday, Aug 4), a group of four men got into an argument with another group of men, which escalated into a physical fight. One of the men left the scene after being knocked down and returned with a gun.

This man, identified as 34-year-old Richard Earl Shepherd, reportedly retrieved the weapon from a vehicle in the parking garage and opened fire as he stepped out of an elevator. Two men were struck by the bullets, one in the knee and the other twice in the arm. They were taken to the hospital but later released.

Officers say that they believe the fight started because Shepherd and his friends didn’t like remarks the other group made to a female. They are still investigating whether the incident might have been gang related, as well.

Shepherd was last spotted by hotel surveillance cameras returning to the parking garage and has not been seen since. As of this posting, he is still at large, and authorities say he has an extensive criminal past. Caesars Palace representatives say they are cooperating fully with the police but are not yet ready to release a statement.

It was only a few weeks ago, on July 6, that New York-New York was rocked by an early morning shooter who wounded four.

Now, while these incidents are horrifying, in no way can the casinos be seen as unsafe because of them. Both Caesars Palace and New York-New York make every effort to ensure the safety and security of their guests, but you just can’t plan for the occasional crazy person who shows up.