Sleeping man shot through floor, neighbor arrested

Carson City paramedics help a handcuffed Richard Lanave onto a stretcher to be taken to the hospital. Lanave, 69, allegedly opened fire into his bedroom ceiling, striking a young father asleep upstairs.

Carson City paramedics help a handcuffed Richard Lanave onto a stretcher to be taken to the hospital. Lanave, 69, allegedly opened fire into his bedroom ceiling, striking a young father asleep upstairs.

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

A Carson City man was shot early this morning after his downstairs neighbor allegedly opened fire into the ceiling, striking the victim as he slept next to his girlfriend and only feet away from a crib holding his 3-month-old son.

Brian Kennedy, 25, suffered a grazing gunshot wound to his upper right thigh and a "through and through" wound to his ankle in the 1:55 a.m. shooting on Imperial Way, according to Detective Bob Motamenpour.

Neighbor Richard Lanave, 69, was arrested after he crawled from his apartment following an hour-long standoff.

According to dispatch reports, several people called 911 to report numerous gunshots and a woman screaming at the Royal Vista apartments in the 3200 block of Imperial Way in northeast Carson City.

When police arrived, they entered Lanave's apartment number 13. They noticed gunsmoke before the lights went out and officers retreated.

About 30 tenants in surrounding apartments were evacuated to the chilly street a half block from the complex.

Sheriff Kenny Furlong provided blankets to the tenants, then called on the city to provide a school bus for warmth.

After repeated requests through a bullhorn for the occupants of apartment 13 to emerge, the SWAT team was preparing to enter when Lanave crawled to the front door.

When he said he could crawl no further, officers dragged him several doors from the apartment, said Undersheriff Steve Albertsen. SWAT later cleared the apartment with flash-bang grenades and found it empty.

Lanave, who suffers from diabetes and allegedly told Albertsen he was confused and sorry for the problems, was taken by ambulance to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center. The undersheriff said Lanave did not appear to be intoxicated.

Detective Dena Lacy said Lanave was lying in his own bed when he allegedly fired at least eight rounds into the ceiling and several more through his bedroom window.

As of this report, no charges had been filed against Lanave and he had not been questioned by investigators.

Motamenpour said victim Kennedy would likely be released from Renown Regional Medical Center by 6 a.m.

Comments

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment