LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man convicted for his part in a mass shooting at a Las Vegas hookah lounge could serve a little more than a year in prison as police continue to search for other shooters involved.
Lee Wilson, 45, is the only person charged thus far in the shooting that left one man dead and 13 others, including Wilson, injured. A judge sentenced Wilson to a 21-to-54-month prison sentence — the terms of a plea deal between his lawyer and prosecutors.
The shooting happened around 3:15 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Manny’s Glo Afterdark Lounge on East Sahara Avenue near Maryland Parkway. At some point, a fight broke out between several people. At least one attendee was a known gang member, police said.
Demetreus Beard, known to his friends as “Avion,” 33, died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Several people took out firearms during the fight, resulting in Beard’s death and the dozen injured, police said. Police originally charged Wilson with murder. A grand jury then indicted him on several attempted murder charges. In the end, Wilson took a plea deal for possessing a firearm by a prohibited person.
As part of the deal, Wilson agreed to a 21-to-54-month prison sentence. With credit for time served, Wilson could be out of prison by mid-2024. That estimate does not include credit he could receive in custody.
“I just want to go on record to apologize to the family of Demetrius and any other body that was hurt in that ordeal that I was in,” Wilson said during Wednesday’s hearing.
As the 8 News Now Investigators previously reported, detectives determined the shootout began in a VIP area, comprised of several couches, tables and booths. Police located 25 cartridge cases in the area. There were also bullet impacts on the walls, a table and some couches, police said.
“I watched him pull out his gun and I watched him do the firing,” a shooting victim told the grand jury last year. “He was the first one to fire at the other guy and the other guy turned around, fell on the ground and started firing back at him.”
“Okay. And then there was somebody else who was shooting as well; correct?” a prosecutor asked.
“Yeah,” the shooting victim responded. “They were just dropping, people were dropping all around me.”
The witness also told the grand jury attendees did not go through a metal detector before entry, but were wanded.
The county suspended the lounge’s license after the shooting. When police informed the county about the shooting, it was learned the lounge was serving alcohol and hookah and operating as a nightclub, all without the proper licenses.
During his first court appearance, a prosecutor said Wilson has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1995, including 82 arrests and nine felony convictions.
Video obtained by the 8 News Now Investigator last year showed Wilson firing a weapon in 2018 earlier in an incident that sent him to jail for a year.
“I just want everyone to know that I’m going to put this behind me,” Wilson said before a bailiff handcuffed him and led him away.
Wilson was out of custody on $75,000 bail. The judge allowed him to receive medical treatment for his injuries before sentencing. During the sentencing, Judge Kathleen Delaney noted Wilson completed all his requirements while out of custody.
The investigation to identify and find the other shooters was ongoing as of Wednesday, Metro police said. Metro has never publicly released any information about other suspects.
All evidence of the lounge was removed as of Wednesday, and it appeared a new business was being constructed in the space.