The mother of a man killed on a North Las Vegas casino floor has filed a negligence lawsuit, claiming the property failed to provide adequate security.
“High Crime Area”
On November 24, Willecia Calhoun filed a 14-page complaint in Clark County District Court against Aliante Casino and its operators, over the March 27 shooting death of her 23-year-old son, Na’Onche Osborne.
The lawsuit alleges that the Las Vegas-area casino, owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, did not “manage, control, supervise, secure and/or maintain” the premises or take reasonable steps to protect guests before the pre-dawn attack.
According to the complaint, the shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. on the casino floor. Prosecutors say 19-year-old A.W.opened fire on Osborne before fleeing. Police reports and court documents note that W. went on a high-speed escape, reportedly stealing three cars and striking two pedestrians during the chase.
Calhoun’s lawsuit points out that the casino sits in what she calls a “high crime area” near the 215 Beltway and North Aliante Parkway. She argues the casino should have had more visible security, improved camera coverage, better lighting, and metal detectors to prevent firearms from entering the property.
She is seeking damages exceeding $15,000 for the emotional and physical suffering caused by her son’s death.
Boyd Gaming, which operates dozens of casinos across the country, has only issued a standard statement that it does not discuss pending litigation.
More Disturbing Stories
In 2010, a North Las Vegas casino was sued in a similar case of a man shot and killed by a robber. The victim’s family, which filed a personal injury lawsuit against the Opera House casino, claimed the casino could have prevented the incident if it had offered more security.
Media reports say the victim was visiting the Opera House on October 22, 2010, when another man at the casino was robbing a patron with the help of a handgun. After the robbery, the robber went into the men’s room that the victim was also using, demanding money.
When the victim told him he had no money to give him, the gunman shot him multiple times, according to the person who was initially robbed and also witnessed the bathroom shooting.
The family lawsuit claims the Opera House did not install the right security videos in the restrooms and was lacking sufficient security staff.
In another tragic incident in 2022, a man was killed by a private security guard at Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens while he was restrained. The victim’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the casino, claiming the guard used an amount of force that was grossly out of proportion for a single unarmed person.
The family asked for $132 million, or the equivalent of $1 million for each second the allegedly suffocated was restrained.