Police said customers restrained the suspected gunman outside a Smith’s store near Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A man and woman were shot and killed Tuesday morning inside a Smith’s grocery store in south Las Vegas, and a suspect was taken into custody after bystanders tackled him outside, police said.
The shooting, reported about 11:24 a.m. May 12, turned a busy shopping center near South Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard into a homicide scene. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said the two victims were pronounced dead at the store, and investigators believe the attack was targeted.
Officers were called to the Smith’s Food & Drug in the 9700 block of South Maryland Parkway after reports that a man was firing inside the store. When police arrived, they found several people restraining the suspect outside. Officers then went into the store and found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds. Police said both victims were in their mid-40s and were married. The suspect, later identified in reports as Alejandro Alfonso Estrada, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening before remaining in police custody.
Police said early information showed Estrada had previously been in a relationship with the woman who was killed, and investigators were looking at recent custody issues as part of the case. Authorities said the suspect and the woman shared children. The victims were identified in reports as Amanda Rosas and Victor Frias Rosas, who worked at the store and had married last year. Police said no other people were shot, and investigators did not announce an ongoing threat to the public after the arrest.
Witnesses described a brief but chaotic scene as shoppers and employees ran for exits. One witness said she was near the pharmacy side of the store when she heard gunfire from the produce area. She said people began moving toward the doors before the suspect left the building. Another witness said the suspect appeared calm as others ran and screamed. Police credited at least three bystanders with helping stop him before officers arrived. Lt. Robert Price said those people showed “tremendous courage” as they held the suspect down.
Investigators said several weapons were found on the suspect. A witness told reporters that one man tried to tackle the suspect as he walked near the pharmacy area, and another person helped knock a gun away. The witness said the group wrestled a backpack away from the suspect and held him on the ground until officers reached the shopping center a few minutes later. Another shopper said she heard several shots, ran with her two young children and later learned the father of her children had helped restrain the suspect.
Smith’s said the store at 9750 Maryland Parkway would remain closed while police investigated. The company said it was cooperating with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which had secured the store and parking lot after the shooting. “We are deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence,” the company said in a statement. The company said questions about the case were being referred to police to protect the investigation. The parking lot remained blocked as detectives collected evidence and interviewed witnesses.
Court records cited in reports showed Estrada faced multiple charges, including two counts of open murder and aggravated stalking. Reports said he faced 12 charges in all and was expected to appear in court Wednesday afternoon. Police had not released a full public account of the custody dispute, the exact sequence of shots or whether the victims were approached before the shooting. The Clark County coroner’s office was expected to make formal victim identifications and release causes and manners of death after family notifications and examinations.
The shooting happened in a commercial area of the south valley, where the Smith’s store anchors a shopping center used by nearby Silverado Ranch neighborhoods. Customers described the store as a routine stop for groceries before gunfire broke out late Tuesday morning. Harris Daboy, who was inside the store, said he heard several shots and saw people rush toward exits. He said he tried to help guide others away from danger because some people could not move quickly. “I just tried to protect the people inside the store,” Daboy said.
By Wednesday, police had the suspect in custody, the store remained closed and homicide detectives were continuing their review of witness accounts, weapons and store evidence. Estrada’s expected court appearance Wednesday afternoon was the next public step in the criminal case.
Author note: Last updated May 13, 2026.