Drunk argument leads to fatal shooting near Charleston, Fremont

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A drunken argument between childhood friends led to a fatal shooting at a home near Charleston Boulevard and Fremont Street.

The incident happened last Monday in the 2000 block of Peyton Drive.

According to an arrest report, Isaiah Branch told detectives he was contacted by Xzavier Maheia, a childhood friend visiting Las Vegas. He said Maheia wanted to see him, so Branch and his girlfriend went to a house where Maheia was staying and picked him up.

The three went to a liquor store and purchased a bottle of vodka, which they drank while parked outside the house. Then they went back and bought another bottle of vodka and went home.

Branch told detectives he started feeling sick and wanted to leave, but had trouble getting to the front door because he was drunk. He then claimed that Maheia confiscated his cell phone and told him “not to worry about the phone calls and to spend the night.” He then allegedly told Branch's girlfriend that she had to go, but she said she wouldn't go without Branch.

This led to a fight and Branch's girlfriend told police that Maheia began hitting her repeatedly. She eventually had to go to Sunrise Hospital to be treated for a broken nose and bruised eye.

During the fight, Branch said he pulled Maheia off his girlfriend and the two began fighting over a gun that was in Branch's pocket. Branch claims Maheia lunged at him and fired several times because he “thought [he] I was going to try to fight [him] once again for the weapon.”

According to the report, Branch told police he did not remember how many times he fired his gun and denied shooting from the living room or following Maheia into the kitchen. When police contradicted that statement, saying there were shell casings in the living room, Branch said he “didn't remember how they got there.” He also told detectives that “the incident happened very quickly” and that because he was drunk, he couldn't “remember all the details.”

Maheia's sister, who was in the house at the time of the shooting, told police that when Branch grabbed the gun, Maheia “wasn't holding anything” and that, without warning, Branch “started shooting [Maheia] as [Maheia] ran into the kitchen. »

In addition to the numerous rounds of ammunition throughout the house, police also viewed surveillance video, where the report says approximately 21 gunshots could be heard in rapid, continuous succession, with someone yelling and screaming “I call the police”, and a vehicle driving away from the scene.

Branch left the scene of the shooting, but the report says he called police to let them know he was involved in the shooting, that he was parked a short distance away and would wait for officers.

Branch was arrested and charged with open murder.

As of Sunday evening, he is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. Records show he is due in court June 27.