Police release shooter’s name, possible motive in January slaying
Las Vegas police have named the man who shot and killed 27-year-old Leroy Salazar, and the department has offered a possible motive, but to date, charges have not been filed and the investigation continues.
LVPD received a call of shots fired the evening of Jan. 18 and responded to Salazar’s home in the 2200 block of Collins Drive, according to Cmdr. Steve Pacheco of LVPD. Officers soon learned that Salazar had been shot, and he was transported to Alta Vista Regional Hospital, where he later died from his wounds.
The same evening, Clyde R. Gonzales, 38, of Las Vegas, checked into Alta Vista to be treated for gunshot wounds as well, and officers quickly identified Gonzales as the man who’d shot Salazar, according to LVPD.
During interviews with investigators, Gonzales admitted to going to Salazar’s home that night. He told police he’d gone there to confront Salazar about allegations that Salazar was involved in an intimate relationship with Gonzales’ 14-year-old daughter, according to LVPD. The two began to argue, then they exchanged gunfire.
Pacheco said LVPD is not investigating the alleged relationship because Gonzales’ daughter has refused to speak with investigators.
Following the shooting, police served a search warrant on Salazar’s home and the surrounding property. Officers located “numerous empty shell casings” from two different calibers, according to Pacheco. Police also seized approximately three pounds of “low-grade marijuana,” and more than $3,000 in cash.
A video surveillance system was also seized from Salazar’s home, and it has been sent to a forensic laboratory in Albuquerque for examination. The contents of that video will likely be key in deciding if charges will be filed in the case, Pacheco said, and it may change the way the case is investigated.
“As of right now we cannot officially call Mr. Salazar’s death a homicide,” Pacheco said. “At this point, all the facts needed to make that determination are not readily available.”
Salazar’s brother James Salazar previously told the Optic that police hadn’t told his family much about what happened that night. James Salazar launched a social media challenge in honor of his brother with the goal of seeking justice for him and other victims of violence in Las Vegas.
James Salazar did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
After treatment at Alta Vista in Las Vegas, Gonzales was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. His condition is unknown, but according to Pacheco, Gonzales is no longer hospitalized.
Gonzales has not been charged in the shooting of Leroy Salazar, but according to Pacheco, charges could still be filed depending on the outcome of further investigation.
