Current:Home > Invest15-year-old North Dakota runaway shot, killed in Las Vegas while suspect FaceTimed girl -×
15-year-old North Dakota runaway shot, killed in Las Vegas while suspect FaceTimed girl
View
Date:2025-04-15 12:48:59
A 15-year-old runaway from North Dakota was killed in a Las Vegas apartment while his suspected shooter was showing off his gun to a girl on FaceTime, police said.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police charged Browdy Lee Shaffer, 18, with James Lobue's murder on Sept. 4. The boy was a runaway from Bismarck, North Dakota, according to a police arrest report obtained by USA TODAY.
Officers found James on Sept. 2 lying inside the apartment from a gunshot wound to the torso, the report says. He was then taken to a hospital for emergency surgery, but despite the efforts of medical personnel, he succumbed to his injuries, the document continued.
Two adults and three juveniles were in the residence when police responded, while body-worn camera video caught "a multitude of juveniles fleeing the apartment upon officer's arrival," according to the report.
It is unclear if Shaffer has a defense attorney.
Browdy Lee Shaffer came to apartment with semiautomatic pistol
A female juvenile in the apartment told police that James and another boy slept in the living room of the apartment the night before the shooting, the report says. Upset that the boys were in the living room, the girl's stepfather poured water on them and woke the pair up, prompting them to leave, the document continued.
The boys would ultimately come back and spend the night in the apartment. Shaffer, who had a semiautomatic pistol with him, came by the apartment the next day to confront the girl's stepfather about him pouring water on his brother, according to the report.
While at the apartment, Shaffer began "play-fighting" with his brother and James in a bedroom, the report says. He then made a FaceTime call to an unknown female and began showing her his gun by "illuminating the flashlight and laser," the document continued.
Loud 'pop' heard, everyone ran out of the apartment
At some point, Shaffer was standing next to James with the gun in his hand when a loud "pop" was heard, according to the report. Everyone then ran out of the room, including James, who collapsed at the front door of the apartment, police said in the report.
While everyone fled from the apartment, Shaffer attempted to help the dying teenager, the report says. Before the police arrived, he went back to the bedroom for an unknown reason and then fled the apartment, according to the document.
Police learned that Shaffer came over to the apartment to fight the girl's stepfather "in the street," the report says. Instead of fighting the stepfather, James died from gunshot wounds to his torso and arm, according to the report, citing the Clark County Coroner.
Shaffer was arrested on Sept. 4 and booked at the Clark County Detention Center.
veryGood! (416)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Allow This Photo of Daniel Radcliffe In His Underwear to Put a Spell On You
- Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell appears to freeze up again, this time at a Kentucky event
- At 61, Meg Ryan is the lead in a new rom-com. That shouldn’t be such a rare thing.
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- ‘The Equalizer 3’: All your burning questions about the Denzel Washington movie answered
- Manchin and his daughter pitching donors on a centrist political group, source says
- Onshore Wind Is Poised to Grow, and Move Away from Boom and Bust Cycles
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- John Mellencamp says use of racial slurs are one reason he's 'not a big fan of rap music'
Ranking
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Trump lawyers oppose DA's request to try all 19 Georgia election defendants together
- Clergy dish up meatball sundaes, pickle ice pops and a little faith at the Minnesota State Fair
- TikToker Levi Jed Murphy Reveals His Favorite Part of “Extreme” Plastic Surgery Is “Getting Content”
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- An Air Force crew captured video of rare St. Elmo's fire when they evacuated ahead of Idalia. What is this phenomenon?
- Ex-Catholic cardinal McCarrick, age 93, is not fit to stand trial on teen sex abuse charges
- CNN names new CEO as Mark Thompson, former BBC and New York Times chief
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Judge holds Giuliani liable in Georgia election workers’ defamation case and orders him to pay fees
Millions of workers earning less than $55,000 could get overtime pay under Biden proposal
Andrew Lester in court, charged with shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl for ringing doorbell
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
Ex-Catholic cardinal McCarrick, age 93, is not fit to stand trial on teen sex abuse charges
Over 50 dead in Johannesburg building fire, authorities say
Iraq court sentences 5 people to life in prison in killing of US citizen, officials say