A father and son showed up at the North Las Vegas tow yard to pick up what was theirs. They’d argued about fees with a man who’d impounded their vehicle earlier Thursday. The younger man even fought with him.
But the employee, Jason Harris, said he’d prevailed in the scuffle. Now father and son were on the way out. The suspect trailed them, mouthing off with the man he’d just overpowered, according to North Las Vegas Police.
Father and son hopped into their pickup and began to drive away. That’s when Harris allegedly pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger — blasting a bullet into the back windshield and toward the head of the younger man, who was sitting shotgun next to his father, police said.
When confronted by detectives, Harris said he’d fired the single round when he’d seen a pistol pointed in his direction, according to an arrest report. Later, he said there was no other gun. “He admitted to being so angry from the fight that he shot at the truck as it drove away,” police said. “He did not truly see a gun pointed at him.”
Friday, the day after the shooting, the 28-year-old victim was fighting for his life at University Medical Center, police said. Meanwhile, Harris, 28, was in police custody facing two counts of attempted murder and one count each of battery with a deadly weapon and shooting into a structure, Las Vegas Jail records show.
The shooting was reported just before 8 p.m. at the Fast Towing yard at 4220 Donovan Way, near Craig Road and Interstate 15, Officer Eric Leavitt said.
Police found a bloody truck — which was driven outside the lot — and the victim slumped over the passenger seat.
There was no gun, police confirmed.
Harris waived his right to remain silent and outlined what’d happened: how he’d argued, fought, and opened fire strictly out of anger, police said. He told detectives where to look for evidence.
After the shooting, he said, he picked up the bullet casing, put it in his work shirt, which was at his house along with the gun.