Gunman Kills Ex-Girlfriend in Vegas Casino

LAS VEGAS —  A man shot his former girlfriend Wednesday as she dealt cards at a downtown casino, then chased her through the casino, firing until she collapsed.

“She tried to run away,” said Las Vegas Police Lt. Wayne Petersen. “She actually did run out of the pit.”

When it was over, Larry Darnell Taylor calmly handed his gun over to another card dealer and waited for arrest, police said.

The 37-year-old victim, whose name was not released, died inside the Golden Gate hotel-casino.

Police said Taylor, also 37, and the woman had previously dated but that Taylor had left town and recently returned to Las Vegas. He had booked a hotel room at the casino where his ex-girlfriend worked.

Taylor approached the victim at 10:38 a.m. as she was dealing cards to blackjack players and began firing at her, Petersen said. The woman tried to run out of the casino pit, even ducking under a roulette table, witnesses said. She then ran into the women’s restroom, followed by the gunman.

“A dealer came running in and said, ‘My God, somebody’s shooting,’ ” Golden Gate employee Pat Smith said.

Witnesses told police that they heard several more shots in the restroom. The woman then ran out and collapsed on the casino floor, where Taylor shot her again, Petersen said.

He then handed his gun to another dealer, and security guards tackled him.

Taylor was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Petersen said police were unsure what prompted the slaying.

The casino closed for business after the shooting.