Las Vegas police investigate drug link to gym shooting
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Metro police are investigating whether the synthetic drug Spice contributed to a gunman shooting and killing a gym employee last month.
Metro police suspect Daniel Ortega, 34, intended to carry out a mass shooting at the Las Vegas Athletic Club on Rainbow Boulevard near Vegas Drive before his gun jammed.
On Friday, May 16, Ortega killed Edgar Quinonez, 31. Metro police shot and killed Ortega as he ran out of the front of the business. Three other people were injured in the shooting.
'We don't have a definitive answer on it,' LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during an exclusive interview Wednesday with the 8 News Now Investigators. 'I can tell you there was a long history of abuse of the drug Spice. That certainly could have contributed to that strange behavior.'
Spice, also referred to as K2, is a synthetic cannabinoid that mimics THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
'These products are being abused for their psychoactive properties and are packaged without information as to their health and safety risks,' the DEA warned.
Ortega's history with Spice dates back a decade, McMahill said. In 2013, North Las Vegas police arrested Ortega on a drug-trafficking charge, records said. A judge ordered him to pay a fine, attend drug counseling, and perform community service.
Ortega was a member of the gym and worked out at that location, but there was no connection known between him and Quinonez, police said three days after the shooting.
Detectives were awaiting toxicology results as part of their investigation, McMahill said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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