By Jacob Nakamura
Kandit has found the mugshot of one of the three suspects in the murder of Kevin Mendiola, Jr..
Kayleigh Lewis, 25, was detained at the La Paz County Jail in Arizona after police captured her and Shawn McDonnell, 30, and Christopher McDonnell, 28, following a gun fight with police. Ms. Lewis was treated for injuries then booked and confined at the county jail. The other two have been treated for their injuries, including Shawn McDonnell, who sustained gun shot wounds after he allegedly opened fire on police.
The two McDonnells may still be receiving treatment for their injuries in Arizona.
The three suspects were arrested near Parker, Arizona (a town 200 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada) about nine hours after they allegedly murdered Mr. Mendiola and shot his girlfriend, his younger brother, and two other victims at a 7-eleven in Henderson, Nevada. This happened shortly after midnight on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2020.
On Thursday, November 26, 2020, at 8:48 AM, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) received several reports of suspects in a dark-colored car shooting at vehicles on State Route 95, near Parker, AZ. The description of the vehicle and suspects matched an earlier attempt-to-locate provided to troopers regarding a shooting and homicide in Henderson, NV.
AZDPS Operational Communications dispatchers provided the suspect vehicle description and direction of travel to nearby troopers. A trooper was traveling eastbound on State Route 72 near milepost 31, when he observed a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description. As the trooper was closing in on the suspect vehicle, the vehicle drove off the roadway and rolled. The suspect vehicle came to rest on its roof with the suspects still inside.
An AZDPS sergeant arrived on the scene with the trooper as the rollover collision occurred. The sergeant and trooper performed a high-risk stop on the vehicle and gave verbal commands for the suspects to exit their vehicle.
One of the suspects then presented a lethal threat to the sergeant by pointing a handgun at him. Fearing for their lives, both the sergeant and trooper discharged their service weapons, striking one of the suspects.
Ultimately, troopers were able to remove the three suspects from the vehicle and secure them for medical treatment. Several handguns were located at the scene and inside the vehicle.
The first suspect, identified as 30-year-old Shawn McDonnell, was transported to a local hospital for serious but non-life-threatening gunshot injuries. The second suspect, identified as 28-year-old Christopher McDonnell, was transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained in the rollover collision. The third suspect, identified as 25-year-old Kayleigh Lewis, was also transported to a local hospital for her injuries. She was later released from the hospital and booked into the La Paz County Jail.
The La Paz County Sheriff’s Office is overseeing the investigation into the shootings along State Route 95, near Parker.
The trooper-involved shooting on State Route 72 is being investigated by AZDPS detectives with assistance from the AZDPS Mohave County Criminal Targeting Unit. AZDPS detectives are also working with the Henderson, Nevada Police Department (HPD). According to HPD, the suspects and vehicle match the descriptions of those involved in the murder of Mr. Mendiola in Henderson.
Pictures of the two male suspects matching the descriptions provided by police in both Henderson, Nevada, and Parker, Arizona can be seen by association with Ms. Lewis on social media. Kandit is waiting for their mugshots, when those pictures are available.
