Police have released the identity of a suspect detained after a mass stabbing attack on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday left two people dead and six more injured.
Yoni Barrios, 32, has been charged with two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.
No motive has yet been found for the attack, authorities said, however two witnesses who spoke with a reporter for KTNV said some of the victims were Las Vegas “showgirls”—performers known for taking photos with tourists along the Strip.
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A woman who claimed to employ at least four of the wounded showgirls explained that, before the attack began, the suspect—armed with a knife—had approached the women, identifying himself as a chef. He attacked the group after the showgirls declined to take a picture with him, she said.
A large kitchen knife was recovered from the scene, according to police.
“This was an isolated incident,” Deputy Chief James LaRochelle said in the news release. “All evidence indicates Barrios acted alone and there are no outstanding suspects at this time.”
Las Vegas locals Brent Allan Hallett, 47, and Maris Mareen Digiovanni were named by the Clark County coroner’s office as the victims killed in the attack, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The identities of the wounded victims have yet to be released.
One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second victim later died at University Medical Center. The other six victims were rushed to local hospitals, where three remained in a critical condition late Thursday.
Police said the attack unfolded at around 11:42 a.m. near the Wynn hotel and casino.
Barrios was taken into custody in front of The Venetian, a resort less than a mile away from the Wynn. Witnesses say the suspect had a significant amount of blood “on his sleeves,” police told KTNV.
Traffic along Las Vegas Boulevard was shut down on Thursday afternoon as an investigation was conducted.
Barrios is due in court on Friday, online records show.
Read it at KTNV
