A deadly shooting at a Las Vegas gym was moments away from becoming a mass-casualty event — but a malfunctioning rifle and a swift police response changed the outcome. That’s what Las Vegas authorities confirmed Monday following the violent incident at the Las Vegas Athletic Club on Rainbow Boulevard.

The shooter was identified as 34-year-old Daniel Ortega of North Las Vegas, who was shot and killed by police after fatally gunning down Edgar Quinonez, a longtime LVAC employee. Three others were wounded. Police later confirmed Ortega’s rifle jammed during the shooting — a malfunction they say likely prevented a bloodbath.

Ortega, who reportedly worked as a bellman on the Las Vegas Strip, entered the gym around 1:30 p.m. Friday carrying an Olympic Arms PCR-223 rifle and several magazines of ammunition. After pacing the front desk area and briefly exchanging words with a second employee, Ortega raised his rifle and began firing.

He pursued the fleeing employee through the gym, shooting as he went, before returning to the lobby and continuing to fire. Assistant Sheriff Jamie Prosser confirmed that a weapon malfunction occurred during this sequence, calling it a turning point that “saved the incident from being a mass-casualty event.”

By 1:35 p.m., 911 calls were flooding in. At 1:39 p.m., LVMPD Officers Kaid Urban, Skeeter Black, and Aaron Javier arrived and quickly engaged Ortega. Officer Javier fired through a window, while Officers Urban and Black opened fire as Ortega attempted to flee past them. Ortega was hit, taken into custody, and treated at the scene, but later died at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Quinonez was found inside the gym, along with three other victims. A fourth gunshot victim later arrived at a hospital on their own. All survivors are being treated for their injuries.

Police say Ortega had no known connection to the victims, though he was a gym member. His motive remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.

Had Ortega survived, he would have faced the full weight of the law:

• One count of murder with a deadly weapon

• Three counts of attempted murder

• Three counts of assault on a protected person

• Five counts of assault with a deadly weapon

This marks the third officer-involved fatal shooting by Las Vegas Metro in 2025 — equal to the number recorded by this time last year.

As always, this tragedy raises bigger questions: What can we do to identify warning signs? And are we equipping law enforcement with the resources and authority they need to act quickly — and decisively — when chaos strikes?

Source: 8 News Now

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