Threat allegedly made at church
Prosecutors say man vowed to be ‘greatest mass shooter’
Prosecutors say a man who idolized the Route 91 Harvest festival gunman told members of a Las Vegas church last month that he was planning “something big.”
The man, 23-year-old Calin Hodges, was indicted Wednesday on a terrorism charge. But Hodges’ lawyer, Malcolm Lavergne, told the Las Vegas Review-journal that his client needs mental health treatment. Lavergne also said the statement was made after Hodges was approached by at least one church elder at Mountaintop Faith Ministries for “spiritual healing” during an evening Bible study.
“This young man was talking to clergymen, trying to heal his soul, and was expressing thoughts in his heart, not threats — thoughts,” said Lavergne, who also represents O.J. Simpson. “He’s basically saying, ‘I need help. Can I get some help?’”
The lawyer said Hodges, known by friends and family as “Cal,” had been to the church multiple times before the statements were made.
“He was there in a service, minding his own business,” Lavergne said. “He’s not in the church pews, shouting this out to church members. He did not interrupt the church service.”
Investigators found no weapons in Hodges’ possession, and he has no criminal record, according to prosecutors and Lavergne.
“It’s beyond complicated,” the defense lawyer said. “There’s no easy answers here at all.”
But authorities described the Feb. 21 church encounter differently.
According to the indictment, at least 40 people were at the church service when Hodges proclaimed he would become “the greatest mass shooter in history,” referencing Mandalay Bay gunman Stephen Paddock, who killed 58 people and injured hundreds more before killing himself on Oct. 1.
“Mr. Hodges is a danger to the community,” Deputy District Attorney Michael Dickerson said.
The prosecutor, who described Hodges as “transient,” agreed the defendant struggled with mental health problems.
Hodges faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He was charged with
HODGES
“With a community of our size, every year there’s going to be multiple opportunities to use our technical rescue training,” he said.
‘These are county calls’
Officials said the county disbanded the Fire Department’s 20-yearold Heavy Rescue program in 2010 to save money and prevent layoffs.
A deal between the city and county arranged for the Las Vegas Fire Department to perform those services in the county. The county saved $4.3 million and eliminated the need for layoffs, officials said.
But with an improving economy bringing more stability to the county’s budget and more construction to the Las Vegas Valley, Cassell said it’s time to bring back the team.
“We’re going to have calls at (The Drew Las Vegas), Resort World, the Stadium,” he said. “These are county calls, and we need to be self-reliant.”
It will cost approximately $900,000 to pay for the program’s equipment and training. Another $325,000 will be spent annually on premium pay for Fire Department employees on the unit.
The team will be cross-staffed with 48 employees already working at Clark County Fire Stations 21 and 11, which both lie south of the Strip and near Interstate 15.
“It’s a good centralized location for those resources to roll out of,” Cassell said.
Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.