A Nevada woman faces charges after she allegedly ordered her husband to bring a gun to a Las Vegas Walmart following an altercation with another shopper, leading to both men being shot, police say.
Raqiya Ward is charged with battery with a deadly weapon, disregard for the safety of persons or property, and conspiracy to commit battery in connection with the July 21 incident. An arrest report obtained by local NBC affiliate KSNV and Fox affiliate KVVU says Ward began fighting with a man, identified as Kwame Swain, who was arguing with his girlfriend.
Ward and Swain exchanged words in front of the Walmart after she walked past the couple and said something, police allege. Punches and rocks were thrown, and Ward allegedly called her husband, Travis Ward, to come help.
“Bring a gun,” Ward said, according to witnesses who spoke to police.
“He’s inside, no shirt,” she told Travis Ward after he arrived at the store with a pistol, the arrest report says.
Travis Ward allegedly drew the handgun and shot Swain in the middle of the store, sending customers and employees scattering as police arrived. The arrest report says he tried to shoot Swain multiple times but his gun malfunctioned.
Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the Walmart, located in the 5100 block of Boulder Highway in East Las Vegas, around 6 a.m. shortly after the store opened. They encountered Travis Ward as he was walking out of the store with the gun still in his hand.
“LVMPD communications received a call for service, stating that numerous subjects were involved in a physical altercation inside,” a police captain told reporters at a press briefing after the early Tuesday morning incident.
“As an officer arrived, he heard what he believed to be a gunshot coming from inside the business, immediately followed by a suspect exiting the business holding a firearm,” the captain said. “That caused the officer to discharge his firearm, striking the suspect. … He was pronounced deceased on scene.”
Officers entered the Walmart and found Swain suffering from a gunshot wound. “That male was also provided immediate medical attention and transported to the hospital where he’s currently in critical condition,” the captain reported.
Shoppers at the Walmart described the chaos as “scary” and completely unexpected.
“I literally came to get some Tylenol so I can do my morning walk, and I came into a scene looking like Baghdad,” shopper Christopher Goodloe told CBS affiliate KLAS. “I can’t believe it, man. Thirty-two years and I never experienced this in my life. Vegas has changed quite a bit.”
A female shopper told local ABC affiliate KTNV, “Honestly, it was scary because a lot of families live in the area. I’m here all the time, so to hear something like this happened at our local Walmart is crazy. I never thought it would happen over here.”
Prosecutors said in court last week that Ward and another woman who was with her during the altercation with Swain, identified as Ameea Blue, are ultimately to blame.
“This entire incident stems from a physical fight that was started by this defendant, the co-defendant and then enlisting someone to come and show up with a firearm,” a prosecutor said, according to KSNV.
Ward was ordered held without bail, while Blue is being held on a $25,000 bail. Both women are due back in court Tuesday.