*Newly released surveillance and body-camera footage is offering the clearest picture yet of a deadly shooting inside a Las Vegas Walmart that prosecutors say stemmed from a fight between shoppers and escalated after a woman allegedly summoned her armed husband to the store.
The videos, released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, document the July 21 confrontation that left Travis Ward dead after he was shot by a responding police officer and another man, Kwame Swain, hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The footage also provides investigators’ timeline of the violence that unfolded just minutes after the store opened for business.
Police allege the deadly encounter began outside the Walmart on Boulder Highway, where Raqiya Ward became involved in a verbal confrontation with Swain and his girlfriend. According to investigators, the argument quickly turned physical, with punches and rocks reportedly exchanged before Ward called her husband for help.
Witnesses told police they heard Ward instruct her husband to “bring a gun.”
According to the arrest report, she later identified Swain for him by saying, “He’s inside, no shirt,” after Travis Ward arrived at the store carrying a handgun.
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Newly Released Video
Surveillance footage released by Metro police shows Travis Ward entering the Walmart and walking through the store before confronting Swain.
Investigators say Ward pulled a handgun from his waistband and opened fire, striking Swain inside the store and sending frightened customers and employees scrambling for cover. Police said Ward attempted to continue shooting, but the weapon malfunctioned before additional rounds could be fired.
Authorities later said the handgun still contained nine unfired rounds, evidence investigators believe supports their conclusion that the firearm malfunctioned during the attack.
Assistant Sheriff Bryan Peterson said the newly released video helps explain how a dispute that started outside the store escalated into a deadly shooting within minutes.
Officer Responds Within Seconds
Body-camera footage shows Metro Officer Cristobal Magana arriving moments after dispatchers received reports of a fight inside the Walmart.
As the officer exited his patrol vehicle, investigators said he heard what he believed was a gunshot before seeing Travis Ward walking out of the store with a handgun still in his hand while customers fled the entrance.
Police said Magana repeatedly ordered Ward to drop the weapon.
When Ward continued moving while armed, the officer fired, fatally wounding him. Officials said Ward died at the scene.
During the department’s media briefing, Peterson said officers often have only seconds to assess rapidly evolving situations and must make split-second decisions to protect the public when confronted with an armed suspect.
Victim’s Condition Improves
One of the most significant developments since the shooting is the condition of Kwame Swain.
Police initially reported that Swain was in critical condition after being rushed to a local hospital. Authorities have since said his condition has improved and is now stable after receiving emergency medical treatment.
Investigators also disclosed that Swain was booked in absentia on unrelated domestic violence charges while he remained hospitalized.
Meanwhile, detectives continue working to determine exactly what triggered the original confrontation and whether the people involved knew one another before the violence erupted.
Charges Against Two Women
Raqiya Halima Smith remains jailed on charges including battery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit battery, and disregard for the safety of persons or property resulting in substantial bodily harm or death.
Another woman, Ameea Blue, who investigators say was also involved in the original altercation, faces similar charges.
During a recent court hearing, prosecutors argued that the deadly chain of events began with the confrontation allegedly initiated by Ward and Blue before Travis Ward was summoned to the scene with a firearm.
“This entire incident stems from a physical fight that was started by this defendant, the co-defendant and then enlisting someone to come and show up with a firearm,” a prosecutor said in court.
The incident shocked nearby residents and early morning shoppers. Witness Christopher Goodloe told local television station KLAS he walked into what he described as “a scene looking like Baghdad,” while another shopper told KTNV she never expected gunfire to erupt at the neighborhood Walmart.
The investigation remains active as detectives continue reviewing evidence, witness statements and the newly released surveillance footage to determine whether additional charges could be filed.
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