Nevada Road Rage Shooting Leaves 11-Year-Old Boy Dead as Stepdad Cries for Help on Police Bodycam
LAS VEGAS, NV — A shocking road-rage shooting on a busy Nevada freeway left an 11-year-old boy dead and his stepfather screaming in agony, moments before police detained a 22-year-old driver who calmly admitted on bodycam, “I f—ing killed him.”
The deadly confrontation erupted on Nov. 14 along the 215 Beltway in Las Vegas. Authorities say Tyler Johns, 22, fired into another vehicle during a heated traffic exchange — striking 11-year-old Brandon Dominguez-Chavarria, who was on his way to school with his stepdad, Valente Ayala.
Bodycam Captured Stepdad’s Heartbreaking Cries: “My kid is dead!”
Police body camera footage shows officers arriving just moments after the shooting. Ayala, drenched in panic, screams:
“My kid is dead! My kid is dead!”
Meanwhile, Johns stands nearby and tells officers flatly:
“I didn’t know he had a kid in the back… I f—ing killed him.”
The officer, stunned at the suspect’s admission, asks Johns whether he fired intentionally. Johns replies that he was “road raging.”
When Johns asks if the child might survive, an officer responds:
“There’s always a chance. If you’re a praying man, start praying now.”
But Brandon later died at the hospital from his injuries.
Police: The Drivers Were “Jockeying for Position” Moments Before Shots Fired
Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader said both vehicles were weaving and trying to pass each other on the congested freeway. At one point, one driver reportedly attempted to pass on the shoulder.
Both men rolled down their windows during the confrontation, and Johns opened fire into Ayala’s vehicle, striking Brandon from behind. Investigators say Ayala, desperate and enraged, then rammed Johns’ car — bringing both vehicles to an abrupt stop in the freeway’s center lane.
A Las Vegas Metro Police officer driving nearby was waved down and captured the chaotic aftermath.
The Aftermath: Heated Confrontation and Immediate Admission
Both men exited their vehicles, exchanging words as traffic stalled around them. Brandon, still seated in the back, was critically wounded.
A responding officer’s bodycam documents Johns visibly shaken — yet still composed enough to admit that he shot toward the vehicle during an emotional outburst.
Police say no evidence suggests Johns was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.
Suspect Held Without Bail as Community Grieves
Johns now faces charges of:
- Murder
- Discharging a firearm into an occupied structure
- Discharging a firearm from a vehicle within a prohibited area
During his first court appearance, Johns was denied bail and remains in custody.
Chief Rader condemned the senseless violence:
“An 11-year-old was on his way to school. This act of road rage took his life. It is not worth it.”
A family GoFundMe described Brandon as “a sweet boy whose life was stolen in seconds.”
What makes people escalate small traffic frustrations into deadly violence — and how can tragedies like this be prevented? Share your thoughts with us at ChicagoMusicGuide.com.