New Source Action 13 News
LAS VEGAS, NV (KTNV) - "A court officer was shot and killed and a Deputy US Marshal was injured Monday after a shooting at the Las Vegas Courthouse. Around 8am on Monday authorities say 66 year old Johnny Lee Wicks opened fire inside the Las Vegas Federal Building in Downtown Las Vegas. Wicks was reportedly upset over his reduction in social security benefits.
65 year old Court Officer Stan Cooper was shot and killed and a 48 year old US Marshal was also hit. He is in serious condition, but is expected to recover.
"From what witnesses accounts have said he walked in with a shotgun underneath his jacket and opened fire when he opened the door," explained FBI Special Agent Joe Dickey.
24 year old Nicholas Gramenos was leaving the courthouse as the gunshots rang out. He captured the sounds of the shooting on his iPhone and then posted the video to You Tube. Click here to watch the You Tube video.
Sources say seven court officers fired back and gunned down Wicks. Officer Cooper is a retired Metro Officer who was working court security. Authorities have not identified the Deputy Marshal who was hurt.
Wicks never made it past the medical detectors.
The Federal Building was evacuated and people were moved to Las Vegas Academy. Several roads around the building were blocked off, including Las Vegas Blvd. between Bridger and from 4th Street to 6th Street.
Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid have offices in the courthouse. Ensign confronted shaken employees who were evacuated to the academy.
Wicks filed a federal complaint in 2008 against a regional commissioner named Peter D. Spencer who worked at the Social Security Office on South Buffalo. Wicks wrote he was unemployed since 1992 and living on $800 a month in California. That's where he first learned his benefits were going to be cut. He moved to Nevada in January 2008 and got a place at Sunrise Senior Village.
He indicated he's African American and that the reduction in benefits amounts to race discrimination and civil rights violations. He complained about being sick and being unable to appeal his benefit reduction of two and a half years back pay in person.
Wicks wrote, "It's all about race. I am not fool." He says Social Security Staffers need to review the meaning of professionalism, honesty and integrity. He says the Las Vegas Social Security Office was acting illegally and referred to some letters he received from that office saying he was overpaid and demanding that he repay them or they'd without a portion of his monthly checks. Wicks' case was dismissed in September 2009."
almost everytime the quiet one are the dangerous one.
Nhatv6 2 months ago
if i had my pension taken at age 66 i would've robbed a bank, not shoot innocent people!!
whatsgoingon07 9 months ago
@AngeloR674 it was the security officer that got killed. Not any of the office workers.
dearjuneru 10 months ago
secruity is their for a reason??one person was KILLED!!!!
AngeloR674 1 year ago
I go to the school that the people were evacuated too, we were on lockdown for the longest time... All that I remember is everyone on their cellphones trying to figure out what was going on there were so many different stories, one of them was that there was a car bomb on Fremont... I knew that one was fake, but still, kinda scary.
jonbenonly2011 1 year ago
woman reporter's surname is "Cheese!" :)
funky13onkey 1 year ago
what i aint gettin my check wait right here muthafucka ill be back:{
noobthizz33 1 year ago
Glad to see somebody agree with me. Peace!!!!
KANSASCITYMACK29 2 years ago
Im with u man, I comment and people go crazy with bullshit questioning, I got a rigth to comment
axgo21 2 years ago
@KANSASCITYMACK29 Did I ever criticize Obama? No. I voted for him, actually. Don't make assumptions that just because I don't agree with your extreme conspiracy theory that I must have opposite views. Yes, the Bush administration left a mess for Obama, but that is a separate issue. You said that Bush was involved with 9/11, which is the point I am addressing. What kind of evidence do you have to support your hypothesis? If it's so clear to you that shouldn't be a hard question.
ryanruns 2 years ago