Man who killed mother, bystander during Las Vegas carjacking rampage may have prepared for conflict with police
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Las Vegas Metro police released more details Friday about an early morning rampage by a man who killed his mother, stole a police vehicle and carjacked drivers at gunpoint on Wednesday.
The initial call, suspect’s mother is killed
Police detailed the deadly rampage during a news conference, starting with initial calls to dispatchers around 3:46 a.m., alerting authorities that Justin Davidson, 36, of Henderson, was firing a gun near his family home at Placid Street and Maulding Avenue in southeast Las Vegas. The shots awakened Davidson’s parents, who police said believed he was firing in the desert wash behind the home.
The parents drove to the wash and got out of their vehicle before Davidson began firing at his parents, killing his mother, identified by the Clark County Coroner’s office as Liza Leveille-Davidson, 58, of Las Vegas. Davidson’s father ran to the vehicle while Davidson continued firing at him.
Stolen police cruiser
Officers arrived at the scene while Davidson’s father retreated before police said Davidson started firing at the officers. The officers took cover behind their vehicles as Davidson continued firing at least two dozen shots at them. Police said Davidson approached a locked Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department cruiser, shot out the window, got inside, and took off.
Davidson drove away in the stolen police vehicle with LVMPD officers chasing him. The chase reached 104 miles per hour, police said, and officers lost sight of Davidson in the cruiser.
The first carjacking
Davidson stopped at a gas station at the 7300 block of South Durango, approached a truck, and carjacked it and the four people who inhabited the vehicle at gunpoint. Surveillance video showed Davidson jumping into the vehicle and slamming into the concrete barrier before speeding away. No one was injured in this carjacking.
The second carjacking
At another gas station at the 8500 block of Blue Diamond, Davidson abandoned the truck and carjacked an SUV occupied by two people. An officer saw the carjacking in progress and fired at Davidson. Investigators believed that one or more of those shots struck Davidson, as they found blood in the SUV when police recovered it.
The third, fatal carjacking
At that point, Davidson continued to Durango Drive and Mistral Avenue. He made a U-turn beside a white van driven by Gerardo Lopez-Martinez, 39, of Las Vegas, who was attempting to pull over. Davidson fired a shot into the driver’s side window of the van, striking Lopez-Martinez. Davidson ran to the passenger’s side, shot at the door, and entered the van. Davidson pushed Lopez-Martinez out of the driver’s side door, sending him to the ground. Officers who arrived on the scene fired 53 shots at Davidson. The vehicle took off, running over Lopez-Martinez in the process.
Davidson’s carjacked vehicle broke down at Durango Drive and Agate Avenue, where officers noted there was no motion in the van. SWAT team members arrived before they determined that Davidson was dead. Investigators said there was no indication that Davidson shot himself, as he had abandoned his firearms in the previous vehicle.
Police officers shot a total of 63 shots during the rampage, officials said.
Who is Justin Davidson?
Davidson, police said, had an extensive criminal history dating back to 2009, most recently arrested in Nov. 2023 on a DUI warrant from March. Davidson did have numerous previous arrests on drug and weapon charges.
The guns Davidson used during the rampage were a Sig Sauer AR 308 rifle that had been stolen in May from a Las Vegas gun show and an AK-47-style rifle with the serial number destroyed.
Preparing for confrontation?
Police who were searching the desert wash near Davidson’s home, where the rampage began, found loaded ammo magazines of various calibers. Investigators found a notebook that contained writing that included a diagram of a potential ambush, indicating that Davidson had been preparing for a confrontation with officers.
In addition, police found electronic devices, trail cameras, bulletproof vests, tactical helmets, firearms, and components that police believed could be used to create firearm suppressors at Davidson’s home in Las Vegas. At his Henderson home, law enforcement found more notebooks and electronics. Investigators noted that they also found military manuals and documents detailing police response to mass-casualty events.
Police said other items included prepping supplies, propane, and an ample butane supply. However, investigators stopped short of saying Davidson was attempting to build an improvised explosive device, saying that those questions remain unanswered as of Friday, as does the question of why Davidson started shooting in the first place.
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