2 officers, 3 others dead in Las Vegas shooting

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Two suspects shot and killed two police officers in an ambush at a Las Vegas restaurant Sunday before fatally shooting a third person and killing themselves inside a nearby Wal-Mart, authorities said.

A man and woman walked into CiCi's Pizza and shot at point-blank range Officers Alyn Beck, 42, and Igor Soldo, 32, who were eating lunch, Las Vegas police officials said. One of the officers was able to fire back before he died, but it's unclear if he hit the suspects, Sheriff Doug Gillespie of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

One of the suspects yelled, "This is a revolution," but the motive for the shooting remains under investigation, Las Vegas police spokesman Larry Hadfield told The Associated Press. He added that "we don't know anything about the suspects yet."

After shooting the officers, the suspects fled to the Wal-Mart across the street, where they fatally shot a person inside the front door and exchanged gunfire with police before killing themselves in an apparent suicide pact, police said.

The female suspect shot the male suspect before killing herself, Gillespie said. The victim's identity hasn't been confirmed, and the suspects' names haven't been released. Both officers were taken to the hospital, but it was unclear if they died there or at the scene.

"It's a tragic day," Gillespie said. "But we still have a community to police, and we still have a community to protect. We will be out there doing it with our heads held high, but with an emptiness in our hearts."

Pauline Pacheco was shopping at Wal-Mart when she saw the armed man and grabbed her father to escape, KLAS-TV reported.

"We saw when the man was walking, he was shouting, yelling bad words, and suddenly he had a gun," she told the station. "It was terrible, it was terrible. That man was crazy."

Clark County Assistant Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the male suspect yelled "everyone get out" before shooting at Wal-Mart. The suspects then walked to the back of the store.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement he was devastated by the murders of the two officers and an innocent bystander in an "act of senseless violence."

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said in a statement that the "pain was evident and clear" among police gathered at University Medical Center.

"Their resolve was greater than ever to serve our community with loyalty, dedication and to honor the memory of their two comrades and friends," she said.

Wal-Mart employees and shoppers were taken to a nearby clothing store to be interviewed by police. The restaurant and Wal-Mart remained closed as detectives processed evidence. McMahill said the investigation is "very complex" because it involves more than 1,000 witnesses.

Wal-Mart issued a statement saying it's working with police on the investigation.

"We express our deepest condolences to everyone who has been affected by this senseless act of violence," company spokesman Brooke Buchanan said.