Armed suspect killed by Las Vegas police who pointed rifle at resident’s head

Las Vegas police have identified the man shot and killed after he allegedly pointed a gun at officers last week.

Assistant Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi told reporters Tuesday that officers responded to several calls about a person with a rifle in the 200 block of N. 9th Street on Thursday.

Recordings of 911 calls were played during the briefing. One person could be heard asking for police, saying he arrived at the apartment building and saw a man standing with a rifle at the door.

"I just skipped every other step, praying I wasn't gonna get shot in the back," the caller said.

Yatomi played surveillance video showing the man, later identified as 49-year-old Seth Wilson, standing by a windowed door carrying a rifle. He's wearing a red hat, which the 911 caller described as a "Make America Great" hat. Wilson holds up the rifle and points it at a person walking through the door, then points it toward the ceiling.

Officers searched for Wilson, and a sergeant on scene called him by phone to negotiate for him to surrender. After several moments, Wilson said, "I'm done with this" and hung up, according to Yatomi.

Minutes later, he came out of the apartment with the rifle, muzzle pointed toward the ceiling, Yatomi said. Officers told him to drop the rifle, and Wilson dropped the muzzle toward the two officers standing in the hallway.

Officers Matthew Kravetz and Andrew Buckland opened fire with their rifles, hitting and killing him. Yatomi said Kravetz fired eight rounds and Buckland fired six, while Wilson did not fire his rifle.

Body camera video played Tuesday showed the officers firing their rifles at Wilson after yelling, "Drop it!" repeatedly.

Medical personnel pronounced Wilson dead at the scene.

If Wilson survived, he would have faced charges of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting an officer with a deadly weapon.

Las Vegas Justice Court records indicate Wilson had previously been arrested twice in September 2022, in one case for assault constituting domestic violence with a deadly weapon and another for discharging a gun where people might be in danger.

Wilson reached agreements in both cases to plead no contest to lesser charges. He was ordered to stay out of trouble and attend gun safety classes and anger management counseling, according to court records.