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Several people who were shot early Monday morning by a gunman outside of Reno’s largest casino were in the city for a bachelor party, it has emerged.
Justin Aguila and Andrew Canepa, both 33, both from Southern California, were shot dead as they waited in the valet area of the Grand Sierra Resort for a car to take them to the airport, the Sparks Police Department said Tuesday.
Another man, Angel Martinez, 66, from Reno, was also killed in the attack, said Chris Crawforth, the police chief of the neighboring town of Sparks, whose department is leading the investigation.
“Aguila and Canepa were in town for a bachelor party with several friends and were shot, from behind, while waiting in the valet area for a ride to the airport,” a police spokesperson said.
The members of the bachelor party were all 2010 graduates of Thousand Oaks High, Los Angeles, and several had played high school football together, according to The Los Angeles Times‘ report.
Dakota Hawver, 26, the alleged gunman, lived a five-minute drive from where the shooting occurred. He was shot by officers who responded to the scene, but survived. He remains in critical condition. The extent of his injuries remains unclear. Police have not stated whether he has been charged.
The suspect was armed with a 9mm handgun when he fired roughly 80 rounds outside the casino, police said.
The shooting occurred around 7:30 a.m. when the gunman walked up to the casino-hotel’s valet parking area, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the bachelor party group, police said.
His gun initially malfunctioned, but he was quickly able to get it to shoot multiple times before fleeing on foot through the parking lot, where he encountered an armed casino security guard. Crawforth said the gunman opened fire on the guard, who returned fire as the shooter fled again.
The suspect later shot at Martinez as he was driving by in the parking lot, striking and killing him before officers arrived on the scene within three minutes of the first shots being fired, Crawforth said.
He allegedly “shot Martinez several times.”
According to a GoFundMe that has been set up for Martinez, his “greatest joy was being a father and grandfather.”
The senior citizen came from “a large loving family, one of eleven siblings... loved cooking,” in addition to spending more than three decades working in restaurants and casinos throughout Reno, Nevada, his family shared.
Further information has also emerged about the other victims.
Andrew Canepa was a co-owner of Side Street Café in the Newbury Park community, about 40 miles west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Ventura County Supervisor and former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, Jeff Gorell, said in a Facebook post.
Gorell described Canepa as “a loving father to his young son.”
"We will miss seeing his warm presence at the restaurant and are deeply saddened by this loss," he said.
A GoFundMe page has also been launched in his memory.
Dylan McLean, who was shot in the shoulder, managed to jump into a nearby truck and asked the driver to take him to a hospital, friends told The Los Angeles Times.
While en route, he called Matt Harper Sitler, a friend who was shot multiple times and was also hiding from the gunman. He was hospitalized, listed in critical condition, and placed on life support Monday, said The Times.
The same evening, after receiving surgery to remove his spleen, Sitler was able to breathe on his own, his friends told The Times. His first words after the attack were, “Is Andrew OK?”
Justin Aguila’s loved ones have also set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised nearly $50,000 at the time of writing.
“Justin was so much to so many—an incredible fiance, a loving son and brother, and a truly loyal friend. He had the kindest heart, a vibrant spirit, and a way of making everyone feel welcome, seen, and loved. His laughter, generosity, and authenticity will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” one section of the page reads.
The page goes on to mention that Aguila is survived by his fiancée, his parents, brother, and sister.
Police say two people remain hospitalized – both are expected to make a full recovery.
Hawver was able to buy his firearm two years ago and recently bought ammunition, police said.
He does not have a criminal history, nor has he been found to have suffered from any mental health conditions.
At present, investigators say “his motive is unknown” as he did not have any known connection to the Grand Sierra Resort or any of the victims.
An investigation is ongoing.
