Today marks one year since the deadly mass shooting at the Grand Sierra Resort. There's still a lot the community doesn’t know about the case, including a motive.
The case currently resides in the hands of the Washoe County District Attorney's office. They're investigating the criminal aspect, and whether or not Reno Police officers were warranted in shooting the suspect. The office provided the below statement when asked for an update.
“We recently received the completed investigation into the GSR officer-involved shooting. Our review process is thorough and comprehensive, and while we are reviewing multiple officer-involved shooting cases concurrently, we expect to complete our review and publicly release our findings by the end of the year. As always, our commitment is to provide the community with a complete, accurate, and transparent review of the evidence and legal analysis.”
On July 28th, 2025, police say 26-year-old Dakota Hawver walked up to the valet, pulled out a handgun, and pointed it at a group of people. The gun malfunctioned, but Hawver was allegedly able to get it working and fired multiple rounds, hitting five people.
Justin Aguila died on scene, while Andrew Canepa died at the hospital. The gunman also shot and killed Angel Martinez, who was driving through the parking lot. Kevin Weir and Matt Sitler were injured in the shooting.
When Reno Police arrived on scene, they found the suspect, who opened fire on them. Multiple officers fired on the suspect, hitting him. He later died at the hospital.
In response to the one-year anniversary, the Grand Sierra provided this statement:
“As we mark one year since this tragic event, our thoughts remain with the victims, their loved ones, everyone affected, and the first responders who answered the call that day. We continue to be grateful for our team members and the broader community, who demonstrated extraordinary compassion and resilience.”
