The Old Blog in the Desert

Nothing quite stirs the blood like a bit of excitement in a gambling house, and the good people at Circus Circus in Las Vegas had more than they bargained for Saturday evening when a fight broke out and was promptly inflated into a full-scale gunfight by way of a panicked phone call. The Las Vegas Metro Police, ever eager to keep things lively, arrived in force only to discover that no bullets had flown, though plenty of people had bolted for the exits, making a great commotion. Not a single injury, aside from wounded dignity and trampled egos, was reported.

Meanwhile, in the Northern reaches, folks at the Nugget Cas

ino in Sparks had a more sincere bit of trouble. At the most ungodly hour of 5 a.m. Sunday morning—when men are either winning big, losing everything, or finding some other way to ruin their lives—a pair of armed gentlemen found themselves in a violent disagreement.

Multiple gunshots rang out in the hotel lobby, sending one fellow, aged 35, into the hands of the hospital staff, who did their best to patch him up, but to no avail. His mortal account was closed not long after.

The other participant, a sprightly 19-year-old, fared better, arriving at the hospital under his power with less grievous wounds. Investigators surmise that the two were engaged in what the law might call an “altercation,” which, when translated from legalese, means that they both thought themselves the better shot and set about proving it.

The outcome suggests that, at best, only one was correct.

Authorities assure the public that this was an “isolated incident,” which, in these parts, generally means that no respectable citizens were involved and that everyone else may continue their revelries undisturbed. Nevertheless, anyone who witnessed the shootout or knows something the police ought to know is encouraged to contact the Sparks Police Detective division or leave an anonymous tip with Secret Witness—assuming they are not otherwise engaged in dubious dealings.