SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A battle between the Hells Angels and Vagos, two rival motorcycle gangs, left gunshot wound victims on a freeway around a half hour outside of Las Vegas, Nev., over the weekend.
No fatalities were reported, according to the Henderson Police Department, but the scuffle landed seven subjects in local hospitals, with two in critical condition.
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Police said law enforcement and the Henderson fire department received a call at 11:50 a.m. Sunday about a shooting on northbound US-95 Freeway at College Drive in Henderson. Upon arrival, they found the gunshot victims.
Investigators have identified three suspects involved in the shooting: 66-year-old Richard Devries, 46-year-old Stephen Alo, and 26-year-old Russell Smith. According to CBS News, police said Devries is the Las Vegas Hells Angels chapter president, while Alo and Smith are club recruits.
Devries, Alo, and Smith were taken into custody Sunday evening and booked into the Henderson Detention Center. They face the following charges: six counts of Attempted Murder with a Deadly Weapon, six counts Battery with use of a Deadly Weapon causing Substantial Bodily Harm, six counts Discharge Gun at/into Occupied Structure/Vehicle and one count Conspiracy to Commit Murder with Deadly Weapon.
A preliminary investigation found that all subjects involved with the incident appear to be members of either the Hells Angels or Vagos. Both clubs are Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, according to police.
The U.S. Department of Justice describes Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs as “organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises,” and are “highly structured criminal organizations whose members engage in criminal activities such as violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking.”
Out of the approximately 300 active Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs in the U.S., the Hells Angels are one of the most well-known. Founded in California during the late 1940s, the club is now international. Most members are white males who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles and as of 2008, there were around 2,000 to 2,500 members of the club.
At that time Vagos – which was established in California during the late 1960s – had around 300 members in 24 states. As of 2014, it had nearly 600 members and was identified as one of the largest Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs in the country. Vagos also has chapters in Mexico.
Henderson police said the Hells Angels and Vagos are rival gangs, and this is not the first time Vagos and the Hells Angels have clashed near Las Vegas. In 2017, Vagos members were indicted on charges that included murder of Hells Angels members at a casino in Sparks, Nev., according to the Justice Department.
Following the shooting Sunday, part of the freeway was closed to traffic for several hours as police investigated the scene.
Although the incident took place within the jurisdiction of the Nevada State Police Highway Patrol, the Henderson Police Department is the lead investigating agency. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department also assisted in the investigation.
“As this is an open investigation, no further details will be released at this time,” police said Sunday.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to call the Henderson Police Department at 702-267-4911, 3-1-1, or, anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
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