Arsonist arrested in window shootings

A convicted serial arsonist was arrested Monday in the Gardnerville Ranchos after a rash of shootings in which the windows were shot out of dozens of businesses in Carson City, Stateline and Carson Valley.

"If it were a rifle, I'd be dead," said Encore Consignment owner Diane Garrity, who was standing near the front door to her Carson Street business at 2:42 p.m. when a pellet pierced the glass, shattering it.

Garrity thought she'd escaped the earlier mayhem.

At 1:15 p.m., neighboring business, Hanifin's Arts and Antiques, had two of its plate-glass windows facing Carson Street shot out. At least 10 other Carson City businesses reported shootings in the surrounding moments.

As deputies and Nevada troopers raced from scene to scene, the culprits drove down Carson Street an hour later and hit the businesses again.

Scott Doerr, owner of B'Sghetti's, was a target at 1:12 p.m.

He estimated it would cost him more than $1,500 to replace the plate-glass window that once bore his restaurant's name. Fortunately, no customers were sitting in the section where the window was shot out.

Doerr was pondering the situation about 2:43 p.m. near a window in the main dining room of his restaurant when the building was struck again. A second, 10-foot-tall window was shattered. This time, someone was nearby.

"I was sitting there, and it exploded into my lap," Doerr said in amazement. He was unhurt.

Two weeks ago, a drunken driver smashed through the front wall of Lionel, Sawyer and Collins law office, taking with him one of the three plate-glass windows. About 1:14 p.m., a pellet shattered another one.

"There was a boom, a big, loud boom, and then I could hear (the window) cracking. You can still hear it cracking," said Joe Theile, office manager.

At Stew's Sportatorium, Phil Reddel was sitting at the east end of the bar when a pellet pierced the Carson Street door. Reddel, who is deaf, didn't hear any such boom, but he said he was startled by a "big shadow," and turned to see the damage to the door directly behind him. The pellet missed him by 2 feet. Manager Jim Beaver said the cost to replace the door glass would be about $500.

Michael Robbins of Hanifin's estimated his damage at $5,000.

"They will have to replace the frames and everything," he said.

Two plate-glass windows on his storefront were hit, and Robbins said the pressure stressed a third and cracked it.

"I'll offer a $500 reward for anyone that finds who did this," he said.

The last call Carson City received was from a UPS driver, who reported just after 3 p.m. that a window on his truck had been shot out. About 20 minutes later, businesses in Douglas County began to get hit, said Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Muñoz.

"I heard at least five reports down here in Douglas. It's like they were just driving from the north end of town, and they just proceeded to go southbound on 395 through town," he said.

About 3:30 p.m., a woman called 911 to say the window on her mini van was shot out by the driver of a black Pontiac Sunfire near Kimmerling Road.

"She was covered in glass shards and very shaken at the scene," said Carson City Detective Keith Bopko.

Muñoz said Douglas County deputies stopped the vehicle at Kimmerling Road and Wheeler Way. A witness in Carson City was brought to the scene and also identified the Sunfire as the vehicle they'd seen at the scene of one of the Carson City shootings.

Bopko said officers noted a slingshot and a pellet gun inside the vehicle.

Driver David Scott Killen, 22, declined to speak to investigators. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor assault and gross- misdemeanor destruction of property. His bail is set at $10,000 cash only.

Killen's passenger was allowed to leave.

Killen is a convicted felon and spent time in prison in connection with a spate of arsons in Douglas County, Carson City, Virginia City and California's Alpine County in 2002.

Bopko said he was paroled in August.

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.

Timeline of Monday shootings:

• 12:25 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. - Reports of windows shot out on businesses in Stateline.

• 1:07 p.m. - Mia Fernandez, owner of Studio 218 Hair Design, 218 S. Carson St. reports her window was shot out.

• 1:10 p.m. - Report of window broken at Sierra Sewing, 1000 N. Carson St.

• 1:12 p.m. - Scott Doerr, owner of B'Sghetti's, 318 N. Carson St., reports a window was shot out.

• 1:13 p.m. - The Crackerbox, 402 E. William St. reports its William Street window was broken with a slingshot. They found a rock near the window.

• 1:14 p.m. - Report of a window shot out at Lionel, Sawyer and Collins law office, 410 S. Carson St.

• 1:15 p.m. - Report of two windows shot out at Hanifin's Arts & Antiques, 210 N. Carson St.

• 1:20 p.m. - Report of a vehicle window at 511 E. Robinson St. shattered.

• 1:29 p.m. - Report of a vehicle window shot out in the Nugget Parking lot in the 500 block of North Carson Street.

• 1:34 p.m. - Report of the Long Street window of Friends In Service Helping shot out.

• 1:48 p.m. - Report of a window at Rolling Rubber, 220 E. William St., "broken by unknown projectile."

• 2:42 p.m. - Fire Chief Stacey Giomi reports windows were shot out of a fire engine and a battalion chief's truck as the vehicles passed the Carson Mall.

• 2:42 p.m. - Diane Garrity, owner of Encore Consignment, 208 N. Carson St., reports her window was just shot out.

• 2:43 p.m. - Bicycle Authority, 1505 N. Carson St. reports a window was just shot out.

• 2:43 p.m. - Scott Doerr, owner of B'Sghetti's, reports a second window was just shot out.

• 2:45 p.m. - Report of a vehicle window shot out at 1201 N. Carson St.

• 2:45 p.m. - Carson Coffee, 1825 N. Carson St. reports a window was shot out.

• 2:47 p.m. - Carson City Toyota Used Cars, 1201 N. Carson St. reports the window of a vehicle in their lot was shot out.

• 2:51 p.m. - Report of a window shot out on a vehicle at 1510 N. Carson St.

• 2:56 p.m. - Nugget security reports a window was just shot out on a vehicle in the handicap-parking area.

• 3:07 p.m. - UPS driver reports his truck window was shot out. He did not report when or where it occurred.

• 3:30 p.m. - Vehicle stopped at Kimmerling and Wheeler drives after a window on a mini-van was shot out and the driver gave police a vehicle description and license plate. At least five businesses in Minden and Gardnerville, including a Douglas County fire station, were also struck by pellets or rocks.

Some other Carson Street businesses hit:

Nevada Secretary of State's Office, Arby's and Stewart Title