Las Vegas man who made Golden Knights shooting threat, stalked woman for decade heads to prison
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The man who threatened a mass shooting before the Vegas Golden Knights clinched the championship last year, and stalked a woman for more than a decade, will serve between 6-15 years in prison, a Las Vegas judge ruled Tuesday.
In May, Matthew DeSavio, 34, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to three charges and agreed to the stipulated prison sentence. The three charges include making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism and aggravated stalking, documents said.
Speaking during Tuesday’s sentencing, Alicia Runyan said DeSavio stalked her for more than a decade. Last year, DeSavio showed up to her business and officers arrested him five hours before the Stanley Cup Final, documents said. DeSavio also made several threatening posts about the game.
“I’m coming for you guys tonight and I hope you get every [expletive] police officer in Vegas Golden Knights there to defend you!” one message said, according to police. “Hope Sin City is ready for the Mandalay Bay massacre part duex [sic].”
Another person contacted police, seeing Facebook posts where DeSavio “[claimed] to want to conduct a mass shooting at T-Mobile Arena,” police said.
“I would just like to apologize for my actions and say that I’m very ashamed of my behavior,” DeSavio said in court Tuesday.
“Despite changing my phone number several times and deleting my social media accounts, Matthew continued to find ways to reach me,” Runyan said. “He threatened to kill my husband and shoot up our home, calling me vile names and making me fear for my life every day.”
DeSavio was arrested and charged in a similar case in October 2022. Records show a judge ordered DeSavio to undergo a competency evaluation in November 2022. DeSavio awaited treatment in jail for 78 days, which his public defender said violated his due process rights.
In a hearing in March 2023, Judge Christy Craig noted the state failed to transport DeSavio to behavioral health treatment promptly. DeSavio remained in custody for eight days after that hearing, prompting Craig to dismiss the charges and release DeSavio from custody in April.
In going along with the plea agreement, Judge Nadia Krall said she was sending DeSavio to prison to prevent another 1 October.
Fifty-eight people were shot and killed during the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Oct. 1, 2017. One October is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Two people later died from injuries they suffered that night, bringing the death toll to 60. Hundreds more were injured in the shooting.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
