A Las Vegas teen has been charged with killing an innocent woman who was caught in the crossfire of a gang fight while walking her dogs.
Kevin Perez-Stubbs, 16, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He was arrested last May, when he was 15.
Prosecutors say it is Stubbs who appears in grainy surveillance video of the attack.
The gunman hangs out of a window before firing a fatal shot Shawna McCowan, a 43-year-old walking her dogs.
After the attack, prosecutors said he searched for news articles about the woman’s death.
Kevin Perez-Stubbs, 16, is accused of murdering 43-year-old Shawna McCowan last April
He is accused of fatally shooting 43-year-old Shawna McCowan while the woman was walking dogs with her boyfriend. Prosecutors say Perez-Stubbs searched for articles about McCowan’s death weeks later
The fatal incident was captured on surveillance video from a nearby home and shows a man police believe is Stubbs
According to a police report, the shooting stemmed from an earlier argument between two teenagers at a nearby apartment complex.
A teenager had accused another of stealing his Polymer80 slide rifle, which was later recovered near the apartments.
16-year-old Kevin Perez-Stubbs teen from Las Vegas faces charges including murder and conspiracy to commit murder
In addition to being linked to the shooting, the gun was also seen in videos posted to social media where Stubbs-Perez brandished it and pointed it at the camera.
Polymer80 is the largest manufacturer of non-serialized ‘ghost gun’ parts, which are untraceable if used in a crime.
Police identified McCowan as an innocent bystander who was walking on the same sidewalk as two teenagers targeted in a drive-by shooting.
A man who identified himself as McCowan’s boyfriend told police he saw the two teens walking toward them as they strolled along Bella Lante Avenue.
Suddenly, a person leaned out the window of a passing car and “immediately started firing a gun” in their direction.
A bullet struck McCowan in the back and neck as she fled, the report said. Police later recovered over a dozen projectiles from the scene.
Police have described McCowan as an “innocent bystander” who was caught in a drive-by shooting
The violence stemmed from an earlier argument over a Polymer80 slide gun, which Perez-Stubbs was brandishing on social media. The manufacturer makes unserialized weapons that cannot be traced when used in a crime
The teen was only 15 when he was arrested, but was classified as an adult due to the nature of the crime
Police say three other teens were with Perez-Stubbs at the time of the shooting, including his older brother, 20-year-old Johnathan (right) and 17-year-old Mezarius Finch
Tyshean Tillman, 19, was driving the vehicle at the time of the shooting. All three other teens have taken plea deals
Surveillance video first obtained by 8 News Now shows McCowan and the man walking down a residential street. Suddenly a black car stops with its headlights off.
The vehicle gradually slows down and almost comes to a stop, while two other people run down the street. Perez-Stubbs can then be seen leaning out the car window and firing the gun.
Police say three other teens were with Perez-Stubbs at the time of the shooting, including his older brother, 20-year-old Johnathan.
Tyshean Tillman, 19, was driving the vehicle, while 17-year-old Mezarius Finch was also in the car.
Both minors were classified as adults due to the seriousness of the crime. Records show the three other teens took plea deals.
Should a jury convict Perez-Stubbs, the judge will have to grant parole to his sentence because of his age, according to Nevada law.
McCowan worked as a teacher in Colorado and had a job with United Airlines, based in Las Vegas
McCowan divided her time between Aurora, Colorado, where she worked as a teacher; and Las Vegas, where she worked for United Airlines.
Around the time of the shooting, she was visiting friends, her sister Autumn wrote in one GoFundMe campaign.
Autumn and many of McCowan’s other family members, including her son and husband, are based in Colorado.
“Losing a loved one is never easy, but the added layer of losing someone out of state is something I wouldn’t want any family to experience during a time of grieving,” she wrote.
Ashley Ozark, who stayed with McCowan during United Airlines training, described the mother of one as “selfless.”
“She would fight tooth and nail for anyone she cared about,” Ozark said.
“She was so full of life and the world is darker without her. I am so sorry to her loved ones for the loss of such a sweet and fiery soul.”
She is survived by her husband Laszlo (photo) and son Laszlo Jr. behind.