Las Vegas suspect tried cashing forged check before shooting casino security officer
Las Vegas NV Dec 19 2021 A Henderson man accused of shooting a security guard at a Las Vegas casino Thursday was attempting to cash a forged City of Las Vegas payroll check at the property’s cage, according to Metro Police.
Michael Kasper, 33, remains at the Clark County Detention Center on charges of attempted murder, possession of forged instruments/bills and attempted theft, according to jail records.
Santa Fe Station security guard Winston Bouman was shot twice in his left thigh, according to the police report. Bouman was transported to University Medical Center with nonlife-threatening injuries.
Kasper entered the casino, located in the 4900 block of North Rancho Drive, just before 2:30 p.m. and immediately made his way to the casino cage, according to his arrest report. There, he tried to cash a check for $1,981.
A casino employee scanned the check into a computer program that allows workers to compare checks to verified copies of the check to catch counterfeits. Due to inconsistencies in the check, the employee contacted her manager, who contacted security to respond to the cage, police said.
Bouman was one of the first security guards to respond, and attempted to detain Kasper, police said. Kasper immediately began fighting with security in an attempt to avoid detainment.
Surveillance footage and witness statements indicated that at one point during the struggle, Kasper was taken to the ground, but was able to reach into his right pocket to produce a 9 mm handgun and shoot Bouman.
Security subsequently took Kasper to a detainment room, where he stayed until taken into police custody, according to the arrest report.
Kasper appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court today for an initial appearance, court records show. A criminal complaint is expected to be filed March 17, 2022.
