Man arrested after shooting near Las Vegas Valley Gym

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Police say a Las Vegas man was arrested last week after two illegal shootings and an altercation with police that left local gym-goers stranded near 215 and Flamingo Road .

On Wednesday, May 1, Las Vegas Metro Police responded to a home near Rainbow Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road after reports of an illegal shooting.

A caller told police she heard about five to 10 gunshots coming from a home in the area and noticed a broken window. The caller also told police they saw a white Honda speeding away and saw a black Infinity with Utah license plates circling the neighborhood, according to a police arrest report.

When officers arrived, they were approached by someone who told them they heard four to five gunshots around 10:30 a.m. Officers also noticed the black vehicle with Utah license plates parked at a nearby home, according to the police report.

Officers then spoke with a woman at the home who explained that her boyfriend, whom she identified as Joshua Damian, fired a handgun into the air several times in the backyard after she said they were arguing. The woman then told officers that Damian had left with a friend, the arrest report states.

A person claiming to be a relative of Damian called Las Vegas Metro police and said they had been told that Damien was on his way to a gym in the 9600 block of Flamingo Road nearby, according to the police report which is 215.

Just after 1:30 p.m., a person called 911 to report a shooting at the aforementioned gym. According to the police arrest report, two people drove into the gym’s parking lot in a white sedan. The person in the passenger seat is accused of firing approximately seven to 10 shots into the air with a handgun, the police report states. The vehicle then briefly left the parking lot, but returned a short time later and parked in the parking lot near the gym’s main entrance, according to the report.

When officers arrived at the gym, they were directed by onlookers to the white vehicle parked in the parking lot. The driver of the vehicle was arrested without incident and identified as Aaron Tainatongo, according to the police report.

However, according to police, the passenger, identified as Damian, refused to surrender.

Officers said they viewed the situation as an armed barricade and noted that Damian left the passenger seat and stood near the vehicle, but “ignored officers’ commands while yelling incoherently.” At one point, Damian was accused by the police of “coming out in only his underwear and even lowering his underwear to his knees,” giving officers the middle finger, and “even demanding that officers shoot him,” they say it in the police report.

Officers then said they attacked Damian with a “less-lethal shotgun” while the K9 patrol dog was on duty. However, police said Damian “managed to get back into the vehicle and close the door so the dog couldn’t grab him,” the police report said. Eventually, Damian turned himself in to the police and was taken into custody.

Damian’s girlfriend told police that everything had been fine between them until two weeks ago. She told police that Damian had recently lost his job and claimed he had been using marijuana and was acting “very strange,” the police report said. She also told officers that Damian woke up that day and seemed upset, and she decided to make him breakfast. While she was trying to talk to him, she said he went outside and started shooting his rifle in the air. She then told police she was afraid, but at no point did he point the gun at her or threaten her. She then told police he placed the gun on the counter and began destroying the counter and throwing items around the kitchen. At that point, she said she called 911 and that’s when Damian noticed he was leaving with one of his friends, according to the arrest report.

Tainatongo, the man identified as the driver in the white Honda, told police Damian called him around midday and asked for a ride to the gym. Tainatongo added that Damian had no bags on him and that he did not know Damian was carrying a firearm, according to the report. Tainatongo drove Damian to the gym, and when the person Damian wanted to meet there wasn’t there, the two drove up the street in the parking lot. He then told police that he saw Damian hold the gun out the window and begin shooting, according to the police arrest report.

Tainatongo told police after the shooting that whoever Damian met called and said he was in the parking lot. At this point, Tainatong said he dropped Damian off in front of the gym. According to the police report, Tainatong then went to the gas station.

When Tainatongo returned a few minutes later, he told police Damian came out of the gym and sat in the front seat. According to police, Tainatong stood around until police asked him to approach them.

Tainatongo claimed that the gun in the car belonged to Damian and that he left it in the passenger seat when he was dropped off. According to the police arrest report, Tainatongo added that he moved the gun and placed it under the driver’s seat.

Officers said they seized a Glock handgun, a Glock extended magazine with cartridges, a fully loaded Glock magazine, an AR pistol and 9mm shell casings during the police investigation.

Las Vegas Metro Police said Damian faces the following charges:

• Discharging a firearm that could endanger a person (38 cases)
• Firing a firearm from a vehicle (14 points)