Detectives said the suspect fled after the shooting and was later arrested.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A man shot and killed his roommate during a fight outside an apartment complex in the east Las Vegas Valley on Feb. 12, police said, and the suspect was later arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on an open murder charge.
Investigators said the shooting happened in the 4800 block of Spencer Street, near the busy intersection of Maryland Parkway and Tropicana Avenue, an area lined with apartment buildings, small businesses and heavy traffic. The case quickly moved into the homicide unit, with police citing a dispute between people who lived together and describing a scene that unfolded in daylight with several 911 calls reporting gunfire.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said officers were sent to the apartment complex at about 10:15 a.m. after dispatchers received a report of a man shot in the parking lot. When officers arrived, they found an adult man suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound, police said. Medical crews took him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police have identified the victim in public reports as Antwon Watson.
Detectives said the shooter left the area before officers reached the complex, setting off a search that included reviewing information from the scene and tracking down the vehicle linked to the suspect. Police later located that vehicle and took it into custody, then arrested 38-year-old Mychael V. Thompson, according to police statements and court records cited in local reports. Thompson was booked on an open murder charge with the use of a deadly weapon, authorities said, a classification that allows prosecutors to argue the killing was murder or a lesser homicide offense as the case moves forward.
Investigators have described the confrontation as an argument between roommates that escalated quickly. In accounts attributed to police documents by local outlets, detectives recovered evidence consistent with a handgun being fired in the parking lot, including a cartridge casing described as a 9mm round. Police have not publicly released the exact number of shots fired or said whether the weapon has been recovered. They also have not publicly detailed what, if any, prior calls for service were made to the apartment complex involving the men before the shooting.
More detail about the days and hours leading up to the killing has emerged through reports citing interviews and records reviewed by police. Thompson’s girlfriend told investigators she and Thompson had been in a long-term relationship and shared the apartment, according to accounts based on an arrest report. She said Watson had moved in temporarily about a month earlier and was expected to get his own place soon, the reports said. Tensions had grown inside the home, according to the same accounts, including arguments tied to jealousy and suspicions that Watson was involved with Thompson’s girlfriend.
Police also reviewed video that showed a dispute between the men earlier on the morning of the shooting, according to accounts of the investigation. One version of events described in those reports said Thompson returned to the apartment after a night of drinking and confronted Watson, and the argument turned physical before the gunfire. Authorities have not said what words were exchanged, and police have not released the video publicly. Investigators have also not said whether either man had a documented history of violence or whether any protective orders were in place.
The shooting occurred in a part of Las Vegas where major roads meet dense housing, and neighbors said commotion in shared parking areas can draw quick attention. Residents in similar complexes along Spencer Street and nearby corridors often rely on common sidewalks, courtyards and open lots, meaning an argument outside can be heard across multiple units. Police have not released the names of witnesses, but investigators said they received multiple emergency calls, suggesting several people were close enough to hear or see the moments around the gunfire.
As the case has developed, the legal process has moved into the early court stages typical of a homicide investigation. Thompson was held at the Clark County Detention Center, and local reports said he was ordered held without bail as the charge was filed. Court records and coverage of the initial proceedings said he was scheduled to return to court on Feb. 18. Prosecutors are expected to continue reviewing evidence, including any surveillance video, witness statements, forensic findings from the scene and medical examiner results, as they decide what final charges to pursue.
Police have framed the case as a domestic-type dispute between people living under the same roof, rather than a random act, but many facts remain unclear. Investigators have not publicly explained whether the shooting happened after the men moved from inside the apartment to the parking lot or whether the confrontation started outside. They also have not said whether Thompson claimed self-defense or what he told detectives after his arrest, beyond statements in reports that he was inconsistent during questioning. The Clark County coroner is expected to determine the official cause and manner of Watson’s death.
Outside the apartment complex, the scene in the hours after the shooting was marked by patrol vehicles and a taped-off area as detectives worked, according to television coverage. Neighbors described shock that a conflict between people who lived together ended in gunfire in the middle of the morning, while officers moved between units and the parking area gathering statements. Police have not released information about a memorial for Watson, but relatives quoted in later reports described grief and disbelief, saying the men had been close enough to share a home before the dispute turned deadly.
The investigation remained open as detectives continued to seek information from anyone who saw the confrontation or had video from the area. Police said Thompson was in custody while prosecutors prepared the next steps in court, with the next key milestone expected at his scheduled court appearance on Feb. 18.
Author note: Last updated 2026-02-19.