Share and Follow
Background: News footage of the scene in Las Vegas, Nev., where Victor Powe was found dead in his car on April 10 (KSNV). Inset: News footage of suspect Elijah Harris in court on April 17 (KSNV).
A man from Nevada claimed to authorities that he intended to spend the evening gaming with friends, unaware of their alleged plot to rob and murder an individual.
Nineteen-year-old Elijah Harris faces charges including open murder, attempted robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery following his alleged involvement in the deadly shooting of Victor Powe, 59, discovered deceased in his vehicle on April 10. Court documents obtained by CBS affiliate KLAS reveal that Harris reached out to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department on April 16, expressing apprehension about discussing the incident.
As reported by NBC affiliate KSNV, Las Vegas law enforcement responded to a shooting call at 6:29 p.m. on April 10, finding Powe lifeless in his car, which had collided with a building after sustaining several gunshot wounds.
Surveillance footage in the vicinity captured three individuals approaching Powe’s car while he was seated in the driver’s seat at the curb, according to KSNV. One man seemingly acted as a lookout while the other two advanced. A man on the driver’s side demanded Powe exit the vehicle, while another wielded a rifle at the passenger side. When gunfire erupted, Powe attempted to escape but was fatally struck, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.
Per the criminal complaint, Harris recounted to police that he and two others gathered at his Las Vegas apartment to socialize, indulge in marijuana, and play video games. Harris noted that one friend arrived with a rifle concealed in his clothing, despite Harris’s prior warnings against bringing it. When their marijuana supply dwindled, one of the friends suggested contacting his supplier to arrange a pickup from Powe, identified as the supplier’s intermediary.
Police said that when Harris and the two other men got up to leave the apartment to meet Powe and pick up the drugs, they reportedly asked Harris “if he was sure he wanted to go.” Harris agreed to go with them and told police that after a brief conversation, one of the other two men allegedly started shooting at Powe.
According to the complaint, Harris told police that he was the first one to get back to the apartment. When the other two men arrived, they allegedly changed their clothes and said they “messed up,” and their interaction with Powe “wasn’t supposed to go like that.”
Harris denied to police that he had any knowledge that his friends planned to rob or kill Powe. He reportedly admitted that “he should have known something was up.”
The other two men have not been identified by name.
Harris was arrested on April 16 and charged with open murder, attempted robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. He is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail. His next court hearing was scheduled for May 20.