Man accused of shooting at home with two people inside
A Las Vegas man has been charged with shooting an assault-style rifle into a west side home while two people were inside, according to court records.
Brandon J. Collier, 22, was arrested May 31 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at dwelling and tampering with evidence, all fourth-degree felonies.
Las Vegas Police responded to a home near Hot Springs Boulevard and Mills Avenue around 3 p.m. May 31 after someone reported a man in the area holding what they believed was an AK-47 rifle, according to a statement of probable cause filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court.
Two residents of a trailer home identified the shooter as “Brandon,” and told police he’d fired the rifle at the home while they were inside, and that he seemed to be recording the incident on his cellphone.
One of the residents recorded his own video though, and police reviewed the video which showed a man holding a cellphone in one hand and a rifle in the other, according to the statement of probable cause. The witnesses also showed police where one bullet entered the home.
While inspecting the home for damage, officers located multiple holes in walls and doors. One bullet traveled through a closet door, across a bedroom and through a bathroom door before being stopped by a bathroom wall. Police recovered the “projectile” in the bathtub, according to court documents.
The owner of the home — the mother of the two witnesses inside — told police she’d been on the phone with Collier discussing the exchange of vehicles, but Collier ended the phone call before a decision on the vehicles could be reached. Soon after, her sons called to tell her Collier had shot at the house.
Police arrested Collier about an hour later and attempted to interview him about the shooting. Collier then requested an attorney before answering any questions. He was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center that evening.
Collier briefly played basketball for New Mexico Highlands University, according to the school’s website. The Optic inquired about Collier’s current enrollment status, but university officials had not responded by press time Thursday.
During a June 1 hearing, bond for Collier was set at $20,000 unsecured by Judge Melanie Rivera, who cited a lack of any previous criminal record.
Collier was released from SMCDC June 1 and is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court July 16 for a preliminary hearing.
