A Nevada man was denied bail days after being charged with fatally shooting an 11-year-old kid after a road rage confrontation.
Tyler Matthew Johns, 22, appeared in court by Zoom on Saturday, one day after being detained in connection with an alleged road rage incident on the 215 Beltway in Las Vegas. Johns was charged with open murder, discharging a firearm from or within a banned structure or vehicle, and shooting into an occupied structure. According to the Henderson Police Department, Johns had a verbal argument with another driver on Friday morning while transporting his 11-year-old stepson to school.
During a press conference on Friday, Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader stated that around 7:30 a.m., two cars on the westbound 215 Beltway were “jockeying for positions, trying to pass each other on the congested freeway.” When one of them attempted to overtake the other on the shoulder, the drivers “rolled down their windows and got into a verbal exchange.”
According to Rader, during the verbal dispute, Johns allegedly pulled out his revolver and fired into the other driver’s vehicle, striking an 11-year-old boy sitting in the back seat. The boy was the other driver’s stepson. Neither the youngster nor the other driver have been named publicly.
Following the alleged gunshot, Rader claimed that the other driver “rammed” into Johns’ vehicle, “causing them both to come to a stop in the middle of the freeway.” The two males stepped out of their automobiles and engaged in a “heated exchange.” Rader stated that a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer driving nearby was “hailed down” and pulled over. That officer took Johns into arrest.
The youngster was rushed to the hospital and died from his injuries.
At the news conference, Rader stated, “I just want to remind everyone that we lost a life today that we did not have to lose. An 11-year-old was on his way to school when this terrible act claimed his life. I need everyone to be patient on our roads. “We have an obligation to look out for one another.”
He went on: “It is not worth it to engage in this type of behavior.”
Johns was denied bail during his court appearance on Saturday and is still in detention. He’s expected back in court on Tuesday.
