Police say a 46-year-old suspect chased a passerby and stabbed him several times after a knife-wielding spree in a central valley neighborhood.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A bystander recording on a cellphone captured the moments a man was chased and fatally stabbed Thursday in the central Las Vegas Valley, according to police. The attack unfolded around 12:30 p.m. near H Street and Owens Avenue, where officers arrived to find several people restraining a suspect and a man in his 40s suffering multiple stab wounds. The victim was taken to University Medical Center and later died.
Police identified the suspect as 46-year-old Kenwonn Deon Montgomery. Investigators say the stabbing appeared to be random and followed reports of a man acting erratically and threatening relatives with a knife in the same area. The case moved quickly into the courts Friday afternoon as Montgomery made his initial appearance on an open murder charge and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The footage, shot by a witness who said, “I wanted to help,” shows portions of the chase and the violent confrontation, underscoring what police describe as a brief but chaotic sequence on neighborhood streets just northwest of downtown.
Officers were dispatched after multiple 911 callers reported a man with a knife running after people in the 800 block of Weaver Drive, just off Owens Avenue near H Street. Minutes later, another call reported a stabbing. Responding officers found bystanders holding a man down and a wounded pedestrian bleeding on the pavement. The victim, who has not been publicly identified pending notification of family, was rushed to UMC and pronounced dead. Lt. Robert Price of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the pedestrian “was just somebody who just happened to be walking down the street,” adding that the suspect “began attacking him” in what investigators believe was an unprovoked assault. A short video recorded by a nearby resident captured the pursuit and the moment the knife was raised before the camera angle shifted in the scramble.
Detectives say the disturbance began at a nearby home where Montgomery arrived behaving erratically. According to police, he swung a knife at his mother at the doorway and then chased his brother out onto the street. As the chase spilled into the neighborhood, Montgomery shifted his focus to a passerby in his 40s and sprinted after him. Investigators say the suspect caught the man and stabbed him numerous times before relatives intervened. Police said the brother managed to disarm Montgomery, while neighbors shouted for help and one witness continued filming. Officers detained Montgomery at the scene without additional force. Two others were evaluated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries tied to the earlier confrontation, authorities said. The Clark County coroner’s office is working to confirm the victim’s identity and notify next of kin; no name had been released as of Saturday.
The stabbing happened in a corridor of older single-family homes and small apartments northwest of downtown, a few blocks from the busy Owens Avenue corridor. Records show patrol units were routed there on prior disorderly conduct calls this year, though police said Thursday’s case stands out for how quickly it escalated. In recent years, Las Vegas has seen several high-profile violent incidents involving edged weapons, including attacks on and off the Strip, prompting periodic emphasis patrols and neighborhood outreach. Officials said nothing in Thursday’s incident suggests a broader threat and emphasized that the suspect was taken into custody within minutes of the first stabbing report. Residents who spoke near the scene described hearing screams and a struggle before sirens filled the block.
Montgomery appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Friday afternoon on one count of open murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. A judge ordered him held while attorneys reviewed initial reports and medical records. Court staff scheduled a follow-up hearing for Tues., Dec. 23, to address bail and counsel. Prosecutors said more charges could be considered as detectives collect additional statements and analyze the video. Police said they are also reviewing 911 audio and canvassing for more security footage from homes and businesses along Weaver Drive and Owens Avenue. The timeline investigators outlined remains under review while the coroner completes final identification and cause-of-death findings.
Neighbors described a chaotic scene that lasted only moments. “I wanted to help,” the man who recorded the attack said in a brief interview, explaining he hit record as the chase passed his window and ran outside yelling for the suspect to stop. Another resident said she heard someone crying out and then saw people pin the suspect on the ground. “It was terrifying, and then the officers were there,” she said. Lt. Price, speaking near yellow tape under a winter sun, thanked bystanders who held the suspect down but urged witnesses to share any footage with detectives. The street reopened after crime scene analysts marked blood drops and collected the recovered knife, which police said was seized by officers at the scene.
As of Saturday, police had not released the victim’s name and age beyond a general description as a man in his 40s. Montgomery remained jailed on the murder and assault counts while detectives prepared case filings and awaited lab work tied to the weapon. The next public milestone is Tuesday morning’s court hearing on bail and counsel. Any further updates from the coroner and detectives are expected to follow that appearance.
Author note: Last updated December 20, 2025.