Three people were killed after a shooter in a black Range Rover Sport opened fire early Thursday morning on the Las Vegas Strip into a Maserati, striking the car’s driver and passenger, before the car lost control and caused a fiery crash at the intersection of Flamingo and Las Vegas boulevards, KVVU reported.
The driver of the Maserati, a taxi cab driver in the accident and a passenger in the cab were killed. A tourist who witnessed the aftermath of the crash told KLAS-TV the burning taxi looked like a fireball. The SUV got away.
In all, five vehicles were involved in the dramatic crash around 4:30 a.m. Thursday at an intersection surrounded by some of the most famous casinos on the Strip, including the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the Paris.
Though by most standards, 4:30 a.m. oftentimes offers authorities only a few witnesses, witnesses did come forward to assist in the investigation.
It appears the occupants of the Range Rover Sport, which has black-tinted windows and matching rims, fired into the Maserati and hit the passenger and the driver, Jose Hernandez, the public information officer for the Las Vegas police department, told Fox News. The car’s driver lost control and drove into the intersection and struck a cab and four other vehicles, Hernandez said.
One former law enforcement witness said he heard one gunshot, followed by a series of blasts followed by a ‘very loud boom.’
Several people were taken to the hospital, including a passenger from the Maserati. Four were taken to University Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Danita Cohen said three were treated and released, while one person remained in the hospital. Their condition was not released.
The intersection is expected to be closed for hours as officers investigate.
It’s the latest in a series of violent actions on the tourist corridor since the beginning of the year. Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage Feb. 6, and a tourist was stabbed in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay Feb. 16.
A spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Jeremy Handel, said his organization didn’t immediately have a comment on the incident and deferred to the police unit that patrols the tourism district.
Click for more from Fox5Vegas.com
The Associated Press contributed to this report