A family gathering at 2449 N. Walnut Road in east Las Vegas ended in a sudden burst of violence on the night of September 7, 2010. Isaiah Joseph-Elijah Luoma, 12, was shot during an incident that also left his maternal grandmother, Sandra Alandt, dead at the scene; Clark County identified 55-year-old George Gerald Jerry Foisel as the shooter, and he died by suicide at the house.

Family members said an argument between Foisel and Alandt preceded the gunfire, though the reason for the argument was unclear. Isaiah’s paternal grandfather, Ron Green, said he believed Isaiah may have been trying to defend his grandmother when he was shot in the head. Police initially reported no obvious motive; later reporting connected turmoil in Foisel’s life, including job loss and the death of a dog. Foisel’s elderly mother was in the home but unharmed, and a multi-agency team swept the residence because of prior threats Foisel had made, including claims he might booby-trap the house.

If anyone knew Isaiah, his routines, or the family dynamics at that address, please share what might help explain what led to this violence.