Crime
Video shows moments Las Vegas Athletic Club shooting suspect Daniel Ortega shot and killed by officer
LAS VEGAS — Authorities have identified the gunman in last week’s deadly shooting at the Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) as 34-year-old Daniel Ortega.
During a press conference held Monday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) provided new details about the incident and confirmed the victim as 31-year-old Edgar Quinonez, a longtime LVAC employee.
Assistant Sheriff Jamie Prosser said Ortega entered the LVAC location on North Rainbow Boulevard around 1:30 p.m. on Friday armed with a rifle.
He walked past multiple gym-goers and approached the front desk where Quinonez was working.
A second employee briefly interacted with Ortega before fleeing when the suspect raised his weapon and opened fire.
Quinonez was struck by gunfire, and Ortega continued to pursue him further into the facility, firing a total of 24 rounds before his rifle malfunctioned.
According to Prosser, the weapon malfunction likely prevented what could have been a mass casualty event.
“Fortunately, this gentleman had a malfunction in his weapon, which saved this from becoming a mass casualty event,” Prosser said.
Quinonez, a resident of Las Vegas, died at the scene.
Police emphasized that he had no known prior relationship or interaction with Ortega, and the motive for the shooting remains undetermined at this time.
Ortega was confronted by law enforcement shortly after the shooting began.
Three responding officers opened fire during the encounter.
Ortega died at the scene.
In accordance with department policy, those officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident remains under investigation.
LVMPD also noted that Ortega was an active member of that specific LVAC location.
Authorities continue to investigate the shooter’s background and possible motives.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.