Holly MatkinLas Vegas, NV – Two people are dead and six more were injured in a series of unprovoked stabbings outside the Wynn Las Vegas casino on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday morning.
Police were alerted about the deadly rampage at approximately 11:40 a.m. on Oct. 6, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said during a press conference later in the day, according to ABC News.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Deputy Chief James LaRochelle said the suspect stabbed the first victim out on the sidewalk in the 3100-block of South Las Vegas Boulevard near the Wynn Las Vegas casino, KVVU reported.
“The initial stabbing occurs on the sidewalk area. It appears unprovoked. There is no altercation beforehand,” Chief LaRochelle said, according to CNN. “That stabbing occurs quickly.”
Chief LaRochelle said the knife-wielding attacker then headed south down the sidewalk and proceeded to stab five more people before stabbing a seventh victim on Sands Avenue, according to ABC News.
An eighth victim has been located, but it is unclear when or where that victim was stabbed.
Clark County statement on the stabbing incident on the Las #Vegas Strip.
“Our thoughts are with the victims of this senseless attack on the Strip today. We are grateful for the quick response from our @ClarkCountyFD, @LVMPD and other first responders.”
📸 from @kncannon pic.twitter.com/yBIe9EEEnR
— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) October 6, 2022
One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, ABC News reported.
A second victim was pronounced dead at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.
The victims who were murdered have been identified by the Clark County coroner and medical examiner as 30-year-old Maris Mareen Digiovanni and 47-year-old Brent Allan Hallett, ABC News reported.
Digiovanni and Hallett were both Las Vegas residents.
Three of the victims remained hospitalized in critical condition on Thursday night.
The three other injured victims were listed in stable condition, KVVU reported.
Caution tape is blocking the Strip on the west and north side of Palazzo at this time. Showgirls I talked to say there are a number of locations where the stabbings took place @KTNV pic.twitter.com/uk5jcbmDlD
— Joe Moeller (@joemoeller44) October 6, 2022
Sheriff Lombardo said the victims were a combination of tourists and local residents, according to CNN.
Police said the suspect, later identified as 32-year-old Yoni Barrios, fled the scene but was taken into custody by a police officer and a security guard within minutes of the attacks, according to ABC News.
Investigators said he was apprehended out in front of the Venetian, and that his sleeves were soaked in blood, KTNV reported.
#BREAKING: The suspect in today's stabbings on Las Vegas Boulevard has been identified as 32-year-old Yoni Barrios. He has been booked into CCDC on two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon. pic.twitter.com/8UzwgeBKP8
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 7, 2022
Police said a large kitchen knife believed to have been used in the deadly attacks was located at the scene, according to ABC News.
A motive was not immediately released.
“This was an isolated incident,” Chief LaRochelle said, according to KVVU. “All evidence indicates Barrios acted alone and there are no outstanding suspects at this time.”
Witnesses said some of the victims appeared to be showgirls who were out taking photos with tourists on the Las Vegas Strip Thursday morning, KTNV reported.
A woman who claimed the injured showgirls are her employees said the attacker told them he was a chef, then asked them if he could hold a knife while posing for a photo with them, according to the news outlet.
She said the women declined his request, at which point he allegedly began stabbing them, KTNV reported.
I just talked to a tourist from Montreal, he says he saw at least two showgirls stabbed on the Strip. The showgirls walk the Strip to talk photographs with visitors. He shared photo below of one being taken away on a stretcher @KTNV pic.twitter.com/xCpYIj8HcR
— Joe Moeller (@joemoeller44) October 6, 2022
Another witness said he saw a woman with an apparent stab wound to her back trying to help a woman who was lying on the ground, according to KTNV.
He said a passerby stopped and began administering CPR on the woman until police arrived at the scene.
Barrios was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon.
