VegasRex

19th February 2007

Shootings at the MGM, Fights at the Wynn …

posted in Las Vegas |

Las Vegas All-Star Game 2007

I LOVE THIS GAME!

All manners of violence and mayhem plagued the Las Vegas Strip and it’s environs Sunday night.

Fights were everywhere … just … everywhere.

I’m sitting here listening to the police scanner as I type this, and they are currently trying to sort out a fight and shooting in the MGM parking garage, a triple-shooting at the Minxx strip club (rapper “Nelly” was inside), a shooting at a liquor store near the strip, and a massive fight at the Tryst nightclub at Wynn between “rappers and ballers”. Supposedly “Young Jeezy” and “Slim Thug” were involved.

362 Arrests have been made so far.

There are reports of local restaurant workers and other employees refusing to go to work this weekend because they were concerned for their safety.

“I have lived in Las Vegas for 20 years and I have never seen it as bad as this,” said one veteran taxi driver who makes regular trips to the airport.

The owner of Coco’s said on TV that her employees were walking off the job or not coming to work because “We were being spat at, we were having food thrown at us, and we were not able to serve our customers …. those people just took over the place”.

“It was filled with an element of violence. They don’t want to pay their bills. They don’t want to respect us or each other,” said Teresa Frey, general manager for Coco’s restaurant…”Frey says she lost 20-percent of her revenue because of people walking out on their bills. She closed the 24-hour restaurant from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. out of concern.”I have been spit on. I have had food thrown at me. I have lost two servers out of fear. I have locked my door out of the fear of violence,” Frey said. “I know that any amount of revenue I made does not justify me being assaulted,” She said.

Nothing says “The NBA Loves Las Vegas” like being spat at and having food flung at you.

Visitors also felt the different kind of Las Vegas atmosphere. “There was a problem with the people walking in front of cars and things like that,” said David Hart, a visitor from Houston.

Gwen and David Hart flew into town on Friday and when they saw the large groups of younger NBA fans, they say they avoided them to avoid problems.

That’s the same technique David Botero and his wife used. “It was definitely a Las Vegas we had not seen in the past. It was not vintage Vegas at all,” David Botero said. He moved from Las Vegas to New York three years ago. His wife surprised him with a 30th birthday trip back to the city they both love. It turned out to be bad timing.

Just coming over the scanner 6:15am: The life of a Mandalay Bay employee was just threatened by two males, police responding …

Update 8:59am: An athlete was involved in the violence. Police are withholding the name.

Update 2:01pm: We got this report sent to us by one of our readers:

“I heard the “athlete” involved in one of the shootings is Pacman Jones of the
Tennessee Titans. Word is he shot a guy who is now fighting for his life in
the hospital and if he does survive he’ll be paralyzed.”

Update 7:45pm: Many thanks to all of the readers writing in to tell us what they know of various stories relating to last night’s events.

Here is another website referring to Pacman’s involvement in the Minxx shooting.

Norm’s Site is also reporting it.

Here is “yet another interesting article” reporting on the weekend in general. It includes a poll.

As of the moment, this is how the voting stands:

How Would You Rate the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas?

Failure: 85%

Success: 15%

Total Votes: 67,781

On February 19th, 2007, Ann said:

I’m watching the local news here right now and it’s utter chaos on the Strip. WTH is going on?! Fights, shootings, lots of unruly/violent conduct. It’s just crazy.

BTW, add me to your fan list. Love your witty posts/comments and up to date news on our great city!

On February 19th, 2007, Jess said:

This is a big weekend for Chinese/Asian tourists due to the Chinese New Year, which was on the 18th (yesterday), not just the NBA Allstar tourists. However, the visitors here for the Chinese New Year is not causing the problems that the visitors here for the Allstar weekend are. Hmm ? now why is that?

On February 19th, 2007, v said:

Waitresses as well told us that there is unlikely going to be any repeat of this weekend’s debacle. I was there and saw it all for myself. Shootings at ICE and Ceasar’s, woman run over at Monte Carlo, fights at Tryst, k-9 units at the Venetian, yelling of indecipherable ebonics and unintelligible grunts around unplayed tables and slot machines. You are right, there will be no coverage of this in the mainstream press. Why can’t the leaders of black America rise and preach against this regressively unhuman behavior?

On February 19th, 2007, tony said:

I hope this is our first and last NBA All-Star game here in LV. Too many people just hangin’ around. Saw none of our Asian visitors.
One of my players (crap game) said he and his friends didn’t want to play because 3 or 4 guys the size of coke machines would always muscle their way into any available space and gum up the game.
I hope the mayor gets the message and drops any future plans to woo another one.
Vegasrex is a great site!

On February 19th, 2007, Steven said:

I fly in to play poker a couple dozen times a year. I hopped a SW flight Saturday night after an all day meeting because I thought it’d be a great time to play. What a horrible mistake! I was at the MGM for a while, and I’m glad I escaped with my life. Was threatened several times, and then some guy with several inches and 75 pounds on me tried to throw me out of my taxi after I finally found one. I’m glad I left my car at the MGM, I was lucky that it wasn’t vandalized, and my fears about someone getting shot in that garage were right.

Oh, and the highest game going at MGM was 2/5. If those ‘gangstas’ actually had some money and gamble to them maybe it would have been bearable at least.

On February 20th, 2007, m_theiss said:

The NBA is nothing but glorified backyard barnball played by a bunch of overpaid self-centered thugs, and you are right in saying that the NBA endorses it. If you want to see real basketball, you can find it at the college and high school level.

I’m not at the least surprised to hear all of the stories coming from Vegas this past weekend.

On February 20th, 2007, JP said:

m_theiss

Unfortunately college is following in the footsteps of the NBA.

As a person who grew up in Indiana and loves basketball I don’t much care for college anymore and the state ruined the high school level 9 years ago.

I don’t understand how some of the true old stars of the NBA put up with the crap that has tarnished the game they made great.

On February 20th, 2007, Ninjahedge said:

JP,

It is possible that, just like with most things (Baseball’s drunken Babe, et all) we just HEAR more about it now than we did back then.

Time has a way of smoothing out the rought spots. Do some digging, I am sure you will find fights and all sorts of things going on in the “good old days”.

I think the major difference is both the scale and the degree. In order to be “bad” nowadays, you just do not get into a barfight, you shoot someone. It is like we skipped right over the good olde’s and went right back to the frontier. :p

Social devolution is great, aint it? :P

On February 20th, 2007, jp said:

I’m glad to see that the happenings this weekend are not being covered up. I have read multiple articles in many papers online and a few TV sites that are report the bullshit that happened.

On February 21st, 2007, scagle said:

The wife and I left on Friday before the madness started. It was clear to me that if I didn’t have gold and a hoody on I was going to stick out like a sore thumb. I hate that the thugs ruined it for everyone. This was our first visit (we will be back, as long as the only B-Ball is at UNLV). Love the city, love VegasRex.com

On February 21st, 2007, click in az said:

I am in vegas every year on Presdent’s Day weekend for my birthday, and I have never seen anything like that circus in my life. The filth of the earth decended on vegas this weekend. Not one service person was happy. No one was tipping for service, the hotel managers were mad because non gangsta patrons were checking out in droves. The violence and attitudes of these people is rediculous, they feel they are owed everything and when they did not get it they took it. I could not believe my eyes at the airport monday night. It looks like there had been a riot, trash up to my knees to get in the door. Every one leaving must of thought the same thing ” Gee this looks just like back home,,, In Detroit”

On February 21st, 2007, Silver said:

I was there the whole dark weekend, and I’ll never go back during an event that attracts this flavor of visitors.
By staying downtown we avoided the gunfights, assaults, rapes, fights, and random violence. But we saw plenty rude attitudes and a complete lack of respect for the white visitors sharing the Vegas experience.
Here’s what it was in a nutshell: Pushy, loud, rude packs of black women with attitude, wearing clothes worth more than my rent; scary lookin thugs that stood around and invaded everyone else’s space with no manners (let alone enough manners to be discreet when women walked by them); and staff at every place (casinos, restaurants, hotels, strip clubs) that were VERY uncomfortable with the invasion. I also didn’t play one table game with a black person, but there were a few on slots. A FEW. Mostly it just seemed like some territorial event for them to get something for nothing. A free peek, a 2 hour shower, free drinks at penny slots, and free peeks at the white women.
The whole feel was VERY uncomfortable. The rudeness was unbelievable. The sense of entitlement was downright scary.
But then I wasn’t allowed to be “racist” and call a spade a spade while anywhere within earshot of a black person in Vegas. Not unless I wanted to get my ass kicked in the bathroom by a pack of well-dressed black women!

On February 21st, 2007, Reese said:

I flew into Vegas Friday from DC. Having never visited Vegas, I was happy to get a chance (or so I thouhgt) to enjoy the city and attend the games for the All-Star event. The MGM Grand was like a mad house. Lines were 30 minutes long for a cab, forcing you to use sedan services that were hiked up to $65 per ride (not per hour). And yes, there were the random acts of senseless violence on the strip and in the hotels. I saw many African American females looking like they just stepped out of a whore house, with clothes too small for a 5 year old. Men looking like they were gang bangers (a lot actually were - blue and red everywhere). That is exactly what the NBA didnt need, (broke) thugs and gold-diggers looking for a “baller”. But, reading your comment section, you would think that those were the only people in attendance, the point needs to be made that not all of the whores were Black & not all Black men were thugs.

It amazes me that terms like “those people” and “dark weekend” are being used today & by these people (meaning ignorant) on your site. Do you believe that the black visitors should have respect for all visitors or just the white ones? WTF? For those of you who are just wondering, Black people can and do tip, we are not all rude (but i did witness many of us being that way), and I wish that it went back to the old days of JUST BASKETBALL, not an excuse to show off and make it into a BLACK-vs-WHITE event. Just remember that not only anglosaxon & asian people were disgusted with the weekends turnout.

We really need to be smarter than this!!!

On February 21st, 2007, jp said:

Reese,

When does the black community stand up and say this shit has to end if you want to end racism?

Black, White, Green, Orange, or Blue The “N” word along with the “C” word (no not the 4 letter C word) and any other word of the like needs to be stopped. How do you expect the white/asian/mexican community to respect your desires to end using the word if you yourselves use it?

On February 22nd, 2007, datruth said:

African-Americans like to party, flash, and cause a ruckus. Hispanic/Latino’s love to dance, wear tight clothes, and eat tacos. Asian’s love to take pictures. Caucasians like mosh pits and Brittney Spears - and according to NBC’s DATELINE “To Catch a Predator? caucasian men like young girls and boys under the age of 13.

WHO cares about all these STEREOTYPES…except about DATELINE.

It’s so sad to hear of the events that took place in LV. But what’s worse, is the dialog btwn. all of you. Clearly, there’ll never be an end to the racism…it?s deeply buried. As long as ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, MTV & BET, merchants, advertisers, major corporations, and SOCIETY continue to promote and condone this behavior and lifestyle - it won’t change. So let’s all realize that it is what it is; and if you must blame ANYONE, blame yourselves. You may not, but know someone who has and does, by the CD’s, the merchandise, laugh at the commercials, and most importantly…buy into the HYPE!

On February 22nd, 2007, bad whiteman said:

WHAT’S NEW ….THE SOURCE AWARDS ,BLACK COMEDY EVENT’S HIP HOP SHOWS ,NBA ANYTHING…..LET THEM KILL EACH OTHER, MONKEYS ACT MORE CIVIL…

On February 24th, 2007, LOVED VEGAS, BUT NOT NBA WEEKEND said:

WE WERE IN LV THIS WEEKEND ALSO TO CELEBRATE TWO FRIENDS 30TH BIRTHDAYS AND OUR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, SPITE THE FACT THAT OUR ONE GROUP OF FRIENDS DIDN’T EVEN MAKE IT ON THE PLANE BECAUSE OF A CANCELLED FLIGHT THE REST OF US STILL WENT, WE HAD A GREAT TIME, YES IT WAS PACKED WITH NBA FANS, BUT WE MINDED OUR OWN BUSINESS AND DID OUR OWN THING, WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANYONE,WE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE VERY FRIENDLY TO US AND WE FELT SAFE. I WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK IN A HEART BEAT, BUT NOT THAT SAME WEEKEND B/C OF THE NBA AND IT BEING REALLY CROWDED, AND HARDLY ANY ROOM TO WALK ON THE SIDEWALK. WE DID SEE A FEW THINGS THAT WEREN’T RIGHT, LIKE THE STORE HAVING TO UNPLUG THEIR BEER COOLERS B/C PEOPLE WERE STEALING, SO TO DETER THEM THEY SAID THE BEER WAS WARM AND THE COOLER WAS BROKEN, ALSO THE FACT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO TELL IF IT WAS NBA WEEKEND OR HOOKER/ THUG CONVENTION , THE WAY SOME WOMEN DRESSED, IF YOU WANT TO CALL THEM WOMEN, LOOKED LIKE PIGS, NO SELF RESPECT. BUT MIND YOU WE DID GROW UP IN AN AREA WITH MANY TYPES OF CULTURES AND THESE PROBLEMS EXISTED THERE ALSO, SO I GUESS WE ARE USED TO THIS BEHAVOIR, BUT IT WASN’T RIGHT TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE TRYING TO ENJOY THEIR VACATION , WE DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT SHOOTINGS UNTIL WE GOT HOME, WE DID SEE WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS 2 PEOPLE LYING ON THE STREET BUT WE THOUGHT THEY HAD GOTTEN HIT BY A CAR BUT LATER FOUND OUT IT WAS PROBABLY A SHOOTING.
I CAN’T BELEIVE THAT PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN GO WHERE EVER THEY PLEASE AND ACT THIS WAY, AND CAUSE TROUBLE FOR NO REASON. IT’S NOT FAIR TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THEMSELVES. I WILL DEFINITELY VISIT LV AGAIN, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WITH LOTS OF CONSTRUCTIVE THINGS TO DO.

On February 24th, 2007, LOVED VEGAS P.S. said:

I FORGOT TO MENTION, WERE THEY FILMING A COPS EPISODE IN VEGAS THAT WEEKEND??? OH AND THE BUFFET & BEER IS DEFINITELY WOTH IT!!!!!

On February 26th, 2007, Reese said:

LMAO… Cops huh???

ok well i will DEFINATELY want to see that episode. A co-worker of mine just returned from Vegas (she went on President’s Day). She heard all of the horrible aftermath stories and we were talking about it today. She spoke to some waitresses at the MGM and was told of guns & threats and fights, and was disturbed by what she heard. And the first word out of her mouth was “ghetto” which made me laugh a little because she is middle aged & caucasian, but she was right.

How many of you have seen the Chris Rock standup where he says ” I love Black people, but I hate N….s”? There really is a difference & he gives a comically realistic breakdown of the term - our media at work again. Please go and rent that performance & you will understand what you saw (still not allowed to speak the word, but at least you will understand the Black perspective of it). Honestly, the word by definition means “ignorant”, so for the sake of this dialogue, i will use ignorant to describe 75% of the people who came to Vegas that weekend - and not just the Black visitors… mostly, but not all - because you have to be ignorant to think that every Black man there was a gun carrying thuggish pimp with a Black whore on his side.

You have to have a fundamental understanding of the terms that you use in order to use them effectively. I can call a 6′4″ man “half-pint”, but in the end, I just look ignorant for trying to use the word, and doing it incorrectly. I am not offended by the way other people observed some Blacks acting in Vegas, I am upset that they included all Blacks in the equation & I am embarassed by the actions of the ignorant. That is what happened here - so JP, when you ask why can’t we just stop saying that word, it’s a wonderful idea but it will probably never happen.

Oh, and to “bad whiteman”,
please know that just as Strom Thurman found that he was related to Al Sharpton… everyone in this country has family members of another race… even those in the KKK. Why??? Because if they owned slaves, they used those slaves for everything & yes, I mean everything.

There are black women today who are still “passing” just because it’s easier for them, & in case you are unaware of that term, here’s another movie for you to see… “Imitation of Life” 1952 starring Lana Turner, Sandra Dee and Juanita Moore.