Do You Carry Off Duty?

For most of my law enforcement career, active shooter incidents were something we trained for constantly but rarely saw happen in Las Vegas. We were always ready, but these events seemed to occur everywhere else.

After the Route 91 Las Vegas Massacre, that changed. These incidents started to happen more often, both here and across the country. Most recently, a shooting at a local gym added to that growing list. While the investigation is still ongoing and not all the facts are out, what has been released so far is deeply concerning.

On May 16th, 2025, around 1:30 PM, 34-year-old Daniel Ortega entered the Las Vegas Athletic Club with a rifle. After a brief exchange with an employee, he raised the weapon and opened fire. He shot Edgar Quinonez, a longtime employee of the gym, then moved through the building, firing a total of 24 rounds. Reports suggest his weapon malfunctioned, which may have prevented him from continuing the attack.

Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived within minutes. As Ortega exited the building, he was confronted by three patrol officers who opened fire, striking and killing him.

Quinonez died from his injuries. Three others were wounded during the shooting, and one remains in critical condition.

At this time, police have not released a motive. There is no known connection between Ortega and the victims, other than the fact that he was reportedly an active member of the gym.

As with any critical incident, it is important to learn from these events so law enforcement across the country can be more prepared for a similar incident. 

The police response in this case was fast. Officers arrived on scene quickly and were able to engage and stop the suspect. In my in-person training, I always emphasize the two main priorities during an active shooter response:

1. Stop the killing. Law enforcement must locate, identify, and engage the suspect as quickly as possible. In this incident, the suspect's weapon malfunctioned, which may have prevented further loss of life. But in most cases, the killing doesn’t stop until the suspect is confronted by police.

2. Stop the bleeding. The next critical step is getting medical aid to the victims. This means establishing a warm zone and moving in medical teams. Lives are saved when treatment is applied quickly. The national average for victims to receive emergency care during active shooter incidents is about 40 minutes. The sooner medical help arrives, the better the chances of survival.

   
   
   
   

If these two priorities are met, the response is considered successful. At the end of the day, no one is going to remember where the command post was, how close the staging area was, or whether the perfect ICS structure was used. What matters is stopping the threat and saving lives.

This is also an important reminder for officers to stay ready, even when off duty. I used to go to this gym with my wife almost every day. When I did, I always carried a cross-body bag with a firearm inside. Gyms can be tough when it comes to carrying because it’s not easy to work out with a weapon. But that inconvenience is nothing compared to the guilt I would feel if something happened and I was unarmed, unable to stop it.