Man accused of shooting, killing childhood friend at Las Vegas apartment complex: police
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man faces an open murder charge after he allegedly shot and killed his childhood friend at a Las Vegas apartment complex, according to a police report.
Las Vegas police arrested Shaun Lee, 52, on April 14 on charges including open murder in the deadly September 2023 shooting, records showed.
On September 15, 2023, around 12:10 a.m., police received a report of a shooting from an employee of a business near an apartment complex in the 1600 block of Searles Avenue.
When officers arrived, they found the victim, identified as Clayton Browne, lying in the parking lot suffering from several gunshot wounds to the face and head. Browne was later pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a declaration of warrant.
The employee told police that right before the shooting, he heard a woman yell, “No, please don’t,” which was followed by two gunshots. The employee then peeked over a shared wall with the complex and watched the suspect fire an additional shot toward the ground, police said.
The woman who was heard yelling was later identified as Browne’s girlfriend. In an interview with police, she said that on the night of the shooting, she and Browne were eating dinner when she stepped outside and saw one of his childhood friends, Lee, who had recently been released after serving 17 years, according to police.
She went back inside the apartment and told Browne that Lee was looking for him so they both walked outside. Once they all reached the parking lot, Lee pulled a revolver from his pocket and shot Browne. Browne’s girlfriend then ran back to the apartment to call 911 and heard an additional gunshot, the report said.
Browne and Lee were childhood friends and had spent the days leading up to the shooting together. On Sept. 13, Lee and Browne had become upset with each other while hanging out at an apartment complex and Lee left crying to meet another friend. When he returned, he had a revolver handgun in his possession, police said.
Two days before the shooting Browne texted Lee saying, “I don’t know what this [expletive] is talking about. We had an aterclat [sic] but the [expletive] wasn’t that serious. I don’t know he would say some [expletive] like that. But like I said we a had a serious oteroo [sic] so whatever his talking please hear my side of the,” the report said.
On Sept. 14, Lee asked a friend to drop him off at Browne’s apartment. About 10 minutes after dropping him off, the friend received a phone call that Browne was shot and killed. The friend then called Lee who asked to be picked up at a nearby apartment complex, according to police.
Lee was arrested on April 15 and was taken to the Clark County Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
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