A convicted felon accidentally shot himself on the casino floor of the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip – then tried to hide evidence under a slot machine.
Cosmopolitan security officers were alerted when 30-year-old Ronnie Delouth suddenly fell to the ground while walking through the casino by himself.
An ambulance was called to transport Delouth to UMC hospital, and he was found to have a gunshot wound to the leg according to KLAS-TV.
Surveillance video showed the man removing the weapon from his waistband before throwing it under a slot machine and crawling away. Detectives later located the gun and a bullet on the Cosmopolitan casino floor.
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, February 21, and was uncovered by KLAS during a routine examination of police reports.
It got worse for Delouth though, because as a three-time convicted felon, including possession of a weapon, burglary, and attempted robbery, he is prohibited from owning or possessing a gun. There is also a warrant out for his arrest on an unrelated charge.
The weapon was found to be a homemade firearm known as a ‘ghost gun’ because it lacks a serial number so is untraceable. There has been a huge rise in such guns used in crimes over the last couple of years.
The situation once again raises questions about how Las Vegas casino security can prevent the threat posed by firearms brought onto their properties.
At present it is legal to carry concealed weapons into all Nevada casinos, though casinos are private property and staff may legally ask gun carriers to leave the premises with their weapons.
Patrons who refuse such requests could face misdemeanour charges of trespass with penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
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