Las Vegas Man Accused of Fatal Shooting over $20 Gambling Voucher in Strip Hotel Room

LAS VEGAS – A shocking incident unfolded in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room when a man was shot and killed over a dispute involving a mere $20 gambling voucher, as detailed in an arrest report.

On Sunday, June 11, a housekeeper at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino noticed what appeared to be a bloodstain on the door of an 8th-floor hotel room around 12:30 p.m. Immediately, she used her employee access card to enter the room and discovered a lifeless man lying near the entrance. The hotel security was promptly alerted, who then contacted both the LVMPD and the Clark County Fire Department.

Upon arrival, officers found the victim identified as Martell Merrill inside the room. Medical personnel from the Clark County Fire Department sadly pronounced him dead at the scene. The arrest report revealed that Merrill’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to his left arm, which had penetrated his left side. The manner of death was determined to be a homicide.

Inside the room, detectives discovered a substantial amount of narcotics, including a “green leafy substance” and a “white powdery substance,” according to the report. Hotel records indicated that the room was registered to Christopher Mason, a 40-year-old Las Vegas resident. Mason had checked into the room on June 6 at 2:21 a.m., accompanied by Merrill and Merrill’s girlfriend.

Further investigation revealed that on Saturday, June 10, at approximately 9:15 p.m., LVMPD dispatch received a distressing 911 call from Excalibur Security. The call was made by a woman reporting that her boyfriend was being held at gunpoint by a man. The woman identified her boyfriend as Merrill.

According to the report, Merrill and his girlfriend were in the hotel room when Mason called them to inform them of his return. Shortly after their conversation ended, Merrill’s girlfriend left to get food and headed to the Luxor Hotel and Casino to smoke a marijuana cigarette.

In her statement to the police, Merrill’s girlfriend recounted that she was on the phone with Merrill when Mason arrived at the room. The report stated that she overheard an argument between the two men regarding a missing $20 gambling voucher that was supposed to be on the dresser. Merrill’s girlfriend expressed that he sounded genuinely afraid for his life and pleaded with Mason not to shoot him, uttering the words, “Don’t blast me.”

Following their conversation, she heard a thud, followed by what she described as labored breathing. Then, silence engulfed the line. Fearful for Merrill’s safety, she hurriedly returned from Luxor to Excalibur seeking help. However, she couldn’t recall the exact room number, leading the security personnel to the wrong room. It was not until the next day, past noon, that Merrill’s lifeless body was discovered in the correct hotel room.

Video surveillance footage captured Mason entering an elevator at Excalibur around 8:53 p.m. on June 10, heading towards the eighth floor. Approximately ten minutes later, he was seen returning to the elevator before departing the hotel in a red car, possibly an Uber.

During the investigation, another hotel guest reported hearing distressing sounds resembling a severely injured man at around 9 p.m.

Mason was subsequently apprehended in the 6800 block of West Cheyenne Avenue. He is now held at the Clark County Detention Center, facing a charge of open murder. His next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on June 15.

This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the Las Vegas community, raising concerns about the escalation of violence over trivial matters and the devastating consequences that can result. The

investigation continues as law enforcement seeks to uncover more details surrounding this senseless act of violence.

Credits: 8 News Now