Not a ‘free-for-all for gangs:’ Officials weigh curfew changes after First Friday fatal shooting

At 10:17 p.m. on Oct. 2, a gunfight broke out near Main Street and Charleston Boulevard in the Arts District during the monthly First Friday festival, leaving three teenagers wounded and 15‑year‑old Carth Onasi Jacobs‑Rodgers dead. Police later arrested 17‑year‑old Isaac Manriquez on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, noting that video on social media identified him and that he left his wallet at the scene.

Mayor Shelley Berkley met with festival organizers, law‑enforcement officials and city staff to discuss possible changes to the city’s curfew rules and the use of entry checkpoints at the event. She said, “Nobody wants to eliminate (First Friday). It’s a wonderful community asset,” and added, “It was never meant to be a free‑for‑all for marauding gangs.” The mayor emphasized that no decision has been made and that the goal is not to bar teenagers from downtown gatherings.

First Friday takes place about five blocks south of the city’s “Enhanced Curfew Area,” where unaccompanied minors under 18 are generally barred from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, legal holidays and New Year’s Eve. The zone is bounded by Maryland Parkway, Bridger Avenue, Main Street and Stewart Avenue, with exceptions for work, business and city‑approved events. Elsewhere, the school‑year curfew runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday‑Thursday and midnight to 5 a.m. on weekends, and violations can result in citations, fines, removal or detention, with parents also facing penalties.

The nonprofit 18b Arts District said it will collaborate with the First Friday Foundation, residents and police to improve safety at future festivals. Family law attorney Mandy McKellar, who represents teens in juvenile cases, questioned the curfew’s effectiveness, stating, “It’s mostly like a reason for police to be able to stop (children) to do an investigation to see if they’re up to no good,” and adding, “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid pull a petition for just a curfew violation.”

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal