Current:Home > Markets3 dead including white supremacist gang leader, 9 others injured in Nevada prison brawl -Summit Capital Strategies
3 dead including white supremacist gang leader, 9 others injured in Nevada prison brawl
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-09 08:33:44
Three prisoners, including a white supremacist gang leader, are dead and nine other inmates were injured in a maximum-security prison brawl in Nevada this week, officials said.
The scuffle broke out late Tuesday morning at Ely State Prison in White Pine County, the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) reported.
The prison is about nine miles north of the city of Ely, which sits roughly 60 miles from the Nevada and Utah state line.
In a statement, the NDOC identified the dead as Zackaria Luz, 43, and Connor Brown, 22. The identity of the third person who was killed was being withheld Friday, pending next of kin notification.
Aryan Warriors white supremacist gang leader among those killed in Nevada prison fight
Department of Corrections records obtained by USA TODAY show Luz was serving seven to 20 years in prison after being convicted of 2019 racketeering and forgery charges in Clark County.
In an indictment naming 22 other defendants, Luz was charged with the felony crimes and named the leader of the Aryan Warriors white supremacist gang, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. According to the NDOC, he was booked into the prison on Oct. 5, 2023.
At the time of the indictment in 2019, the Aryan Warriors were described as an organized para-military group with operatives in both the prison system and the Las Vegas community, as reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. Imprisoned leaders would give orders to street-based members to commit crimes.
Previously from the USA TODAY Network:Aryan Warriors prison gang in Nevada charged with murder, drug trafficking, racketeering
Brown was serving 20-year prison sentence for robbery with the use of a deadly weapon in Washoe County, prison records show. He pleaded guilty to the felony charge after stabbing a gas station clerk and a casino patron during a Aug. 25, 2020 robbery in downtown Reno, KOTO-TV reported.
He had been incarcerated at the prison since May 13, 2021, the NDOC reported.
Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan freed:Russia releases Americans in prisoner swap
Several inmates at Ely State Prison flown to hospitals for treatment
The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office received a report about a large fight between inmates and responded to the detention center around 9:40 a.m. Tuesday, the sheriff's office said.
Prior to deputies responding, the sheriff’s office was notified multiple inmates had died in the fight and several others needed medical attention.
Detectives and the local coroner responded and found three inmates dead, the sheriff said.
Nine other inmates were transported to a local medical facility to be treated for unspecified wounds suffered in the fight. Several of the injured inmates were also taken by medical helicopter to hospitals.
What type of weapons were used in the prison fight?
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo's office said the fight was gang-related, as reported by KVVU-TV.
Officials did not reveal what type of weapons, if any, were used in the attack, how the three inmates were killed or what type of injuries the nine surviving prisoners suffered.
USA TODAY has reached out to the sheriff's office the NDOC.
The case remained under investigation on Friday.
According to its website, the prison opened in July 1989 and holds a maximum capacity of 1,183 inmates.
Contributing: Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette-Journal
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (631)
Related
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Watch these compelling canine tales on National Dog Day
- Go inside the fun and fanciful Plaid Elephant Books in Kentucky
- Georgia sheriff's deputy dies days after he was shot during search, sheriff's office says
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Kroger and Albertsons hope to merge but must face a skeptical US government in court first
- Hurricane Hone sweeps past Hawaii, dumping enough rain to ease wildfire fears
- Alabama high school football player dies after suffering injury during game
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- NFL preseason winners, losers: Trey Lance remains a puzzle for Cowboys
Ranking
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Four men found dead in a park in northwest Georgia, investigation underway
- Joey Lawrence's Wife Samantha Cope Breaks Silence Amid Divorce
- Manslaughter probe announced in Sicily yacht wreck that killed 7
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- When is Labor Day 2024? What to know about history of holiday and why it's celebrated
- Caitlin Clark returns to action: How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream on Monday
- How women of color with Christian and progressive values are keeping the faith — outside churches
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Tusk says he doesn’t have the votes in parliament to liberalize Poland’s strict abortion law
Lily Allen responds to backlash after returning adopted dog who ate her passport
These proud conservatives love wind turbines and solar power. Here's why.
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Five takeaways from NASCAR race at Daytona, including Harrison Burton's stunning win
Watch these compelling canine tales on National Dog Day
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Absolute Units