Joe Downtown: Two injured in early Saturday shooting under Fremont Street Experience, police report

Bill Hughes

Shot fired, two hurt

As expected on a First Friday night, the hordes descended upon eastern Fremont Street. With an added police presence though, little trouble beyond a few skirmishes occurred in the burgeoning Fremont East Entertainment District, sources said.

The same was not true, however, farther west in the Fremont Street Experience, where an electric canopy covers four blocks of Fremont, outside downtown Las Vegas’ more well-known establishments such as the Golden Nugget, Horseshoe and Four Queens.

Just before 2 a.m. Saturday, in the 300 block of Fremont Street — roughly in front of The D — a fight broke out, a Metro Police spokeswoman said. The situation became more dangerous, though, when someone pulled a gun and fired. From initial reports, it was unclear if more than one shot was fired. But a bullet hit the hand of someone involved in the fight, and an innocent bystander was struck in the arm.

Both of the injured people were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the spokeswoman said.

Though no arrests have yet been made, Metro has its Gang Crimes Bureau investigating.

The shooting comes as downtown Las Vegas grows in popularity, especially the more locals-oriented section in the Fremont East Entertainment District.

The First Friday arts walk/street fair doesn’t take place on Fremont Street — it is several blocks to the southwest — but many of the thousands who attend the event end up in the growing number of bars and clubs in Fremont East.

During May’s First Friday, the city closed a small section of Fremont East, which tavern owners said resulted in a potentially dangerous situation because it created a street-party atmosphere; people with 12-packs and other drinks not purchased nearby were setting up on the street.

In addition, the city has an open-container law that can be enforced at an officer’s discretion. Tavern owners in Fremont East said they did not think the law was being enforced.

Fremont Street Experience Legendary casinos, free entertainment, old-fashioned gambling hospitality – this is the vintage Vegas of the Fremont Street Experience. Some say it's almost intimate. You may even run into one of the casino owners while you sit at the blackjack table. Some say it's the free entertainment that makes us vintage. On any given night you may see famous bands, strolling showgirls, or an amazing saxophone performance. Some say it's the history. Las Vegas started 100 years ago in 1905 near the corner of Fremont and Main Streets. Fremont Street was the first paved street. The Fremont Hotel opened 50 years ago and launched the careers of famous entertainers like Wayne Newton. Others say it's the service. A dining experience at Hugo's Cellar inside the Four Queens is unrivaled and renowned. And we can't forget the gambling. Test your fortune at The Lady Luck or Fitzgeralds casinos on some of the loosest slots in town. 425 Fremont St Las Vegas , NV 89101 702-678-5600

Joe Schoenmann doesn’t just cover downtown, he lives and works there. Schoenmann is Greenspun Media Group’s embedded downtown journalist, working from an office in the Emergency Arts building.