MGM Resorts International(LAS VEGAS) — An attempted robbery at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas ended in a gunfight between police and the suspect late Friday.
An armed man walked into the casino and approached a popular poker cage, where he demanded money, before quickly fleeing out the north entrance, Las Vegas police said in an overnight press conference.
The suspect attempted to carjack someone at the valet but was confronted immediately by four uniformed officers.
The man turned and fired at least one shot in the direction of an officer who was struck in the chest, police said.
A second officer returned fire, striking the suspect.
“The officer had his bulletproof vest on, which probably saved his life,” Las Vegas Police Department Capt. Nichole Splinter said.
He was treated and released, police said.
The suspect was also struck in the chest. The man, who was not identified, died a few hours later, police said.
The casino was filled with police officers Friday night because they responded to a report of a missing child, officials briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
There were two robberies at the Bellagio in 2017. In March 2017, three men in animal masks used sledgehammers to smash their way into a luxury jewelry store before at least one of those suspects was apprehended.
In a robbery similar to Friday night, a man was able to make off with money from a poker cage at the Bellagio in November 2017. He was able to get away with an unspecified amount of cash.
Almost a year later, that suspect had yet to be caught, according to CardPlayer, a casino gaming news site.
Police are investigating possible connections to at least one of the casino robberies last year, sources said.
The Bellagio, and its famous dancing fountains, play prominently as one of the casinos robbed in the film “Ocean’s 11.”
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