Kaito Thornton, 25, was shot and killed in Las Vegas on October 22, 2023. Police say the incident occurred near East Charleston Boulevard and North 28th Street after what they believe was a prearranged drug deal. Officers arriving about 8:05 p.m. found Thornton unresponsive in the driver’s seat; paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Two people who had met with him fled on foot and were not at the scene.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case for months while friends and family mourned Thornton’s death. On May 27, 2024, authorities arrested 21-year-old Deaundra Talton, who was already in custody on unrelated charges, and re-booked him on suspicion of open murder with a deadly weapon. It is not yet publicly known how Talton was identified or whether others remain sought in connection with the shooting.

If anyone has information about Thornton, the meeting that night, or the two people who ran from the scene, contact investigators with any tips.