Man fatally shot in lot at strip mall

A man was fatally shot after fighting with another man Saturday at a northeast Las Vegas strip mall.

Metropolitan Police Department officers said the victim was shot in the chest just before 2 p.m. on the 3900 block of East Owens Avenue, near North Pecos Road. He died in the mall’s parking lot outside a grocery store.

“Unfortunately, you can say senseless violence,” homicide Lt. Dan McGrath said. “It’s probably over nothing.”

McGrath said the deceased, about 30 years old, and another man argued in the parking lot of Owens Plaza, fought inside a store and then resumed arguing in the parking lot.

It wasn’t clear what the men were arguing about, but McGrath said that it didn’t appear as if the shooting was in self-defense.

The suspected shooter arrived at the parking lot in a black Dodge Charger with tinted windows, McGrath said.

The shooter and the victim exchanged words, and that escalated into a fist fight inside Cabana Food Market. They then argued outside the store, and as the suspect got into the Charger to drive off, the victim approached the car, according to McGrath.

The two struggled, and during the scuffle, the victim was shot. McGrath said it doesn’t appear the two men knew each other.

Three businesses in the plaza have security footage, and the market has cameras inside the store, McGrath said. Police have about a dozen witnesses.

The car was last seen going westbound on Owens. McGrath said a woman was in the passenger seat.

McGrath described the shooter as a tall, black and 25 to 30 years old. He possibly had his hair in braids.