Las Vegas 7-Eleven Clerk Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder in Fatal Shooting

Case Overview

A jury in Nevada recently convicted a Las Vegas convenience store employee of second-degree murder following a fatal shooting incident. The event occurred outside a 7-Eleven store in June 2023, where 37-year-old R.J. was found responsible for the death of a suspected shoplifter.

Incident Details

The tragic encounter began inside the store over a dispute involving a salad. Court documents reveal that the victim, identified as M.A., was allegedly attempting to steal the item.

At the time, authorities reported that the woman was holding multiple products while also carrying a pre-packaged salad in her purse. The store clerk, R.J., confronted the woman and asked her to set the items down. After she complied, he followed her outside the store.

Escalation Outside the Store

According to Deputy District Attorney Kayla Farzaneh-Simmons, 7-Eleven’s policy prohibits employees from pursuing shoplifters. Despite this, once in the parking lot, R.J. tried to grab the woman’s purse. During this encounter, one of the woman’s companions brandished a firearm, causing R.J. to feel threatened and outnumbered, especially since others in the group wielded knives and a gun.

R.J. was able to take back the salad and throw it across the parking lot. The woman then returned inside the store but later left accompanied by her friends. At this point, R.J. followed the group to an area near Sahara Avenue and Joe W. Brown Drive, where he discharged two shots into the woman’s back, resulting in fatal injuries to her spinal cord.

Evidence and Conviction

During the trial, law enforcement presented key evidence linking R.J. to the shooting. Detectives recovered a firearm from the store’s roof, which contained R.J.’s DNA and matched the bullet caliber used in the killing. The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution and found R.J. guilty of second-degree murder after careful deliberation.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 30, and R.J. faces the prospect of a lengthy prison term.