On the late afternoon of June 1, 2026, 45-year-old Richard Allen Hightower was fatally shot during a confrontation on Burger Road in Fernley, Nevada. Witnesses described a heated argument involving Hightower and two other men that escalated and ended when Hightower was struck by a single gunshot. First responders arrived around 4:30 p.m. and pronounced Hightower dead at the scene after life-saving efforts.

Two men fled the scene — one on a red quad and the other in a tan Jeep. Authorities identified them as 44-year-old James Edward Karol and 40-year-old Jeremy Barrett, both of Fernley. Law enforcement located the tan Jeep, arrested Karol first, then Barrett, whom investigators say fired the shot. Both were booked into the Lyon County Jail on Open Murder charges and held without bail. The investigation remains ongoing.

If anyone witnessed the June 1 confrontation or has information about what led to the shooting, please share what is known with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.