A tragic incident unfolded in a Las Vegas grocery store when a gunman, identified by police as Alejandro Estrada, took the lives of his former partner and her new spouse before being subdued by courageous customers.
The 43-year-old Estrada entered the Smith’s grocery store on Tuesday morning, armed with multiple weapons, and fatally shot Amanda Rosas and her husband, Victor Frias Rosas. Both victims were employees at the store, as reported by KLAS.
Estrada was reportedly in arrears of over $2,800 in child support for their two children, including a son who tragically marked his 12th birthday on the day of the shooting.
Witness Paula Milton described Estrada’s demeanor to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, noting, “He was completely calm. No expression. No nothing.” She added that while others were running and screaming, Estrada appeared unaffected by the chaos.
Estrada and Amanda Rosas were previously divorced and embroiled in a contentious child custody battle over their son, who had just turned 12, and a 9-year-old daughter. Fortunately, neither child was present during the incident.
The shooting only ended when multiple bystanders jumped on top of the suspected shooter and held him down until police arrived and hauled him away in handcuffs, cops and witnesses said.
“Those individuals showed tremendous courage and did an outstanding job,” Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Robert Price told reporters at a press conference, confirming that the suspect was having “some custody issues” with one of the murdered workers.
Police said the gunman had multiple weapons on him. He was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Amanda and Victor Frias Rosas, who were married last year, were declared dead at the scene.
Estrada is facing 12 charges, including two counts of open murder. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.