Outlaw bikers leave town after casino shoot-out
Thousands of bikers rumbled out of Laughlin, Nevada, yesterday as police sorted out the details of a casino brawl that killed three people.
Dozens of extra officers were on the streets of the town, 80 miles southeast of Las Vegas, to guard against possible retaliation following the incident at one of America’s biggest motorcycle festivals.
‘‘It is just a mass exodus,’’ said Sergeant Chuck Jones. ‘‘If you go on the highway right now, it’s just motorcycle after motorcycle as far as you can see.’’
Gamblers ran for cover on Saturday as 60 to 70 people fought inside Harrah’s hotel-casino. Police said gunfire erupted when an argument between the rival Mongols and Hells Angels gangs escalated.
‘‘Blow by blow, stab by stab, and shot by shot, we know exactly what happened in that casino,’’ said Lieutenant Vince Cannito after watching CCTV tapes from the casino.
All three of the dead were gang members, police said. A 32-year-old Hells Angels was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder, he said.
Officers said the CCTV tapes clearly show two members of the Mongols gang surrounded by several members of the Hells Angels as a fist fight breaks out and quickly escalates.
The tape shows one of the Mongols being shot.
‘‘One of the Hells Angels guys pulls out a gun and pops him in the head, and after that it’s just pandemonium,’’ Jones said.
Officers saw almost nobody wearing gang insignias, which police suspect was an effort by the gangs to keep a low profile.
