2 dead, 1 injured in Reno gunfight

RENO (AP) - Reno police were trying to figure out Wednesday what prompted an exchange of gunfire that left two men dead and a third in serious condition after an argument at the home of one victim.

The incident began when two men confronted a 72-year-old man at his home about 7:30 a.m., Reno Police Lt. Mike Whan said.

"Shots were fired during this argument," Whan said. "We are not sure at this point who fired the shots first."

The elderly homeowner, Clarence Johnson, was fatally shot and both the other men were shot during the altercation, he said.

Whan said he suspected the three men knew each other because there was no sign of forced entry at the home. Police were awaiting a search warrant to investigate further inside the home.

The two men fled in Johnson's black Toyota pickup and were involved in a traffic accident before the driver of the car eventually died from his gunshot wound, Whan said.

The passenger, who also was shot, fled the scene. Police found a trail of blood and followed it to the man's apartment, where he was tending to a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital.

Johnson's wife told police she "heard people screaming and yelling and then she heard the shots," Whan said. "By the time she came out, her husband had already been shot and on the ground."