Monday, January 4, 2009

Law enforcement officials say the suspect in the Las Vegas shooting at a federal building was upset over losing a lawsuit over his Social Security benefits.

The two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to discuss the case, say Johnny Lee Wicks
is the man who opened fire at a security checkpoint Monday morning
and was shot dead in a gunfight with deputy U.S. marshals.

While the investigation is still under way, the officials say
the early evidence points to the man's anger over his benefits case
as the motive for the shooting.

Court records show Wicks had sued the Social Security
Administration in 2008, but the case was thrown out and formally
closed in September 2009.

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A hospital official says a court officer has died after being wounded in a shooting at a Las Vegas federal building. A second officer is in serious condition.

The U.S. Marshals Service says the victims included a deputy U.S. marshal and a court security officer. It was not immediately known which of the officers died. Rick Plummer of University Medical Center in Las Vegas says the dead officer was 65 years old.

FBI Special Agent Joseph Dickey says the gunman died soon after the shootout that happened around 8 a.m.

Police and federal agents swarmed the multi-story building that houses federal courts and offices for officials including U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign.

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A deputy U.S. marshal says at least two federal marshals were shot and a gunman was apprehended after gunfire broke out in the lobby of a federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas.

Chief Deputy Marshal Roxanna Lea Irwin said Monday she didn't have immediate information about the condition of the marshals. But she says authorities had a shooter in custody.

Irwin says it appeared a shotgun was used during the confrontation.