Las Vegas officer killed in ambush identified as Marine veteran
A Las Vegas police officer who was ambushed and killed while responding to reports of an armed man has been identified as 30-year-old Austin Abdelnabi, a Marine Corps veteran who joined the department in 2023.
The shooting happened at around 3:57 p.m. Tuesday near Mountain Vista Street and Hacienda Avenue, where police received multiple reports of a man acting erratically and waving a firearm outside a business. The caller said the man appeared to be intoxicated.
Abdelnabi was among the first officers to arrive and was ambushed as he stepped out of his patrol vehicle, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a briefing on Wednesday.
The gunman immediately opened fire and at least one officer returned fire. Abdelnabi was struck and taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The gunman was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officers and a sergeant with the Clark County Office of Public Safety performed CPR, while the Clark County Fire Department administered blood at the scene in an attempt to save Abdelnabi. McMahill said the effort was unsuccessful because of the severity of his injuries.
Abdelnabi had served with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department since November 2023 and was assigned to the Southeast Area Command. McMahill said he was known for his “giant personality” and for always laughing.
Born in South Carolina, Abdelnabi served two deployments with the Marine Corps. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton and served as a .50-caliber machine gunner during his second deployment, which took him to Okinawa and Africa.
His military decorations included the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Abdelnabi is survived by his wife, Sage, whom he had been married to for eight years, along with his parents, two brothers and a sister.
“Austin was also known for talking about how much he loved his wife, Sage,” McMahill said. He promised that the department would continue supporting her in the coming weeks, months and years.
The suspect has not been identified. Additional details are expected to be released as part of the department’s 72-hour briefing on the shooting.
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