A man slain in front of a central Las Vegas bar Monday was arguing with his best friend about who was going to drive home after a night of drinking before he was killed, police said.
Anthony Anderson, 37, was shot multiple times in front of The Dive Bar, 4110 S. Maryland Parkway, just after 4 a.m. Anderson’s roommate, Jordan Garcia, 26, has been charged with murder.
A Metropolitan Police Department arrest report for Garcia indicates Anderson and Garcia were best friends. Anderson, his girlfriend and Garcia were out celebrating Anderson’s birthday, police said, and Anderson had been drinking heavily. His girlfriend was sober, police said, and was prepared to drive the trio home.
“Anthony, who was intoxicated, insisted he wanted to drive,” police said.
Garcia told Anderson to let Anderson’s girlfriend drive as they talked in the parking lot in front of the bar. The two men started to fight, wrestling on the ground, when Garcia took Anderson’s gun away from him and shot him repeatedly, police said.
Garcia was quoted by a witness as saying “he attacked me and I shot him” moments after the killing.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video, police said.
On the video, Garcia and Anderson were observed embracing just three minutes before they started fighting. Anderson pushed Garcia twice, police said, and they started scuffling in a fight that went to the ground. The video then shows Garcia stand up, a gun in his hand, when Anderson approaches him again and Garcia opened fire, shooting his friend multiple times.
“Anthony fell to the ground, Jordan stopped shooting when Anthony fell, but when Anthony was on the ground Jordan fired possibly two more times into Anthony who was lying motionless,” police said.
Witnesses said the men were in the bar prior to the shooting.
Anderson died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Garcia declined to speak with police after the shooting, police said. Court records do not list an attorney for Garcia.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
